Strange Terrain
by Decembers-Coldest-Rain
Summary: Stripped of his chakra and held captive in the belly of Konoha's prison system, Kabuto Yakushi develops a strange fascination with one Sakura Haruno. Each step is dragging her further into the viper's nest, and all is not as it seems. With the line between friend and enemy blurring, Sakura can only hope her choices are not leading her down a path of self destruction. Kabuto/Sakura
1. Prelude

**Strange Terrain:**

Prologue.

 **Description:**

"I want to say I'm sorry, for things I haven't done yet. Things will shortly get completely out of hand."  
Kabuto is taken prisoner and held under interrogation by the Village Hidden in the Leaves. When he finally breaks, he makes one demand: He will speak only to Sakura Haruno.

 **Author's Note:**

This story follows an alternate timeline. It will establish itself as you read. Enjoy!

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XXX

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They had fought so many times, it became something of a well-rehearsed dance. Kunai, kunai. Dodge, dodge. Another kunai. Substitution.

He remembers what it was like when she was twelve years old, and weak by anyone's standards. Barely a blip on the radar. It was hardly fair that he, Kabuto Yakushi, seemed to always end up with the unpleasant task of facing off with the hindrance of Team 7 – the inwardly brusque pink-haired burden known as Sakura Haruno. She only managed to survive those first few occasions because she had the Kyuubi ready to die for her at a moment's notice, somehow always appearing out of the woodwork just as he was ready to stick a knife in her and be done with it. They would run away shortly after, and Kabuto would be left yet again disappointed that the only intel he gathered was on a useless girl from the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

Their fights were so uneven, in fact, that after the first few encounters he had started using taijutsu only, and not just taijutsu. A special form, intended for teaching purposes. She was so weak, so unskilled in hand-to-hand combat, she never even noticed. The look on her face two years later when the lines finally connected and she realized just how much of a joke she was to him is something he still chuckles about to this day. Of course, knowing you're being toyed with and being able to do something about it are two very different stories.

" _Fight me seriously!"_

" _I did not realize you wanted to die, Sakura-san. As you wish."_

But he still did not.

Of course, it didn't stay like that. Over the years of their incessant pursuit of Sasuke ( _Why don't they get it? He doesn't_ want _to come back._ ) she had improved. Taken under the wing of the Godaime herself – Tsunade – who was not unlike the girl in affect, Sakura Haruno had become an adept student. The first time she showed him that hideous strength of hers he'd been shocked; the ground around his feet collapsing under her glowing fists, the bone in his right arm fracturing as he slammed into and through a tree.

After that, he no longer used taijutsu.

Her improvement did not end there, either. At sixteen their battles had become so fierce that he actually began to look forward to them. Her medical ninjutsu was top-notch. She healed practically before he touched her. Her speed and strength only continued to grow, until the point came where he felt he was constantly on the defense. It was times like these he regretted not simply killing her when she'd been a genin, looking at him with doe-green eyes, begging for his help. Calling him traitor.

Yes, Sakura Haruno had become strong. He was certain, even then, that he could destroy her had he so felt the desire. But he'd never taken pleasure in killing the helpless, and something about that pink hair and those smooth, round features sang 'helpless' to him. Not that he showed her mercy – many times he severed her muscles, cut nerves, left her a bloody heap – but their fights always seemed to come to an end before a killing blow was dealt. And if he was being honest, Kabuto liked it that way. Enjoyed fighting her, and seeing her progress. Never in his wildest dreams did Kabuto imagine that Sakura Haruno would have one of the longest files from his intelligence on Konoha.

And then she turned seventeen, and something strange happened.

They were fighting the usual fight. Sasuke this, traitor that. Kunai, kunai. Dodge, dodge. Naruto off somewhere completely losing his shit – when a stray kunai clipped her in the side. Kabuto was surprised by the sudden rush of adrenalin tightening his chest at the sight of her blood spilling into the air and splattering the foliage around them. The feeling confused him, because it was one he couldn't quite place. Disappointment that she was still so weak? Excitement that he may finally put her down for good?

No… it was a negative feeling. He didn't enjoy it. The closest thing he could compare it to was the first time he had seen Lord Orochimaru's arms after his fight with the Third Hokage; the sight of the man's rotten flesh hanging in shreds on his arms had given Kabuto such a visceral feeling he'd been unable to close his eyes without imagining it for days.

Kabuto watched the blood drip from her side that entire fight – a needless distraction which caused him several tactical disadvantages as he willed the feeling to come back to his chest that he may properly identify and file it. Her silly little Haruno dress had ripped, exposing her navel and the pale taut skin of her stomach which was stained red with blood, and the rip shifted with her movements to show a small peek at the wound on her side. He was so busy in his own mind that he did not notice their usual 'good-hearted' (i.e. vicious) banter had come to a complete halt, and that Sakura had stopped fighting and been staring at him with a crease behind her brow.

" _I didn't realize you were such a pervert, Kabuto_."

He was… a pervert? Where did that come from? He realized she was referring to his gaze, which remained disobediently locked on her exposed mid-drift.

Kabuto could have laughed. That's what she thought?

" _Please, Sakura-san. I am hardly attracted to children. I was merely wondering why you haven't healed yourself yet._ "

" _No reason to waste the chakra on such an inexpert wound. Not when I'm saving it for this-"_

She punched him square in the face, full-force, and he didn't even have his chakra ready to heal the damage.

Standing over him, Sakura raised her glowing fists high above her head. They locked eyes for a brief second, and she sneered. " _Also, I'm hardly a child anymore_." The ground splintered beneath them as she brought her fists down, and Kabuto had barely escaped. It was time to go, he knew, the throbbing in his cheek something which would require attention soon, the image of her bleeding side still visible in his mind's eye.

Indeed, she was no longer a child.

The next time a clash happened between Hidden Leaf and the Hidden Sound, almost a year later, Kabuto felt uncharacteristically excited. He told himself it was time to pay her back for the week he'd spent repairing the bones in the left side of his face – but that wasn't quite it. When the familiar orange-and-black spitfire known as Naruto Uzumaki appeared on the scene his chest did an unfamiliar little dance, his fingers fluttered, and he knew she could not be far behind. But it was not Sakura he faced that day. She never appeared, and Kabuto was angry that he was stuck fighting off the boring paint-user and replacement third teammate of group 7 – Sai.

The anger, he told himself, was because she had become an important asset to the Village Hidden in the Leaves, and not facing her regularly meant his data was incomplete. Reaching the goal of someday fulfilling Lord Orochimaru's dream of destroying the Hidden Leaf and all it represented would be impossible to attain if their shinobi were allowed to progress undocumented. He was also angry because Sai did not possess her quick wit, or spectacular strength. Their fight was awkward and choreographed, like two strangers dancing together to separate songs.

In truth, he was the angriest at himself for being disappointed she wasn't there.

Kabuto took his anger out on Sai that time, leaving the kid a crumpled mound for Sakura to repair. A love-letter written in blood, and only he would understand what it truly meant.

 _If you will not face me, I will test your strength from a distance._

And he would do it again, and again. Over the next two years she did not appear before him, and he sent her every friend and comrade she had back on the verge of a body-bag. He made it a point to never kill them, but to instead leave them in such critical condition that only a true genius could restore them. Maybe not even then. And each time she sent them back, healthier than ever.

Could she really be a stronger medic than he? Some of the shinobi he fought were left in such a state that he was sure even the Godaime herself would not be able to repair them. He certainly couldn't. Yet they always returned…

Fascinating.

When they finally met again – Sakura, twenty years old and bitter; Kabuto, twenty-four and excited like a child who's just discovered how to burn ants with a magnifying glass – the mood was different. Sakura had changed. Not just physically, although her hips and breast had widened, but emotionally. The girl who once screamed and flailed, calling him every unique variation of shit-eater and traitorous-scum that she could come up with, was now stoic and reserved. Her eyes burned with a new kind of hate… true, unadulterated loathing. And for once it was entirely directed at him. Not Orochimaru, not Sasuke.

" _You bastard… how many of my friends have you tried to kill_?"

" _Ah, but Sakura-san. They did not die._ "

They fought viciously this time, and it was not the same old dance. The tempo was faster, and Sakura refused to let him lead at any turn. Kabuto realized that over the many years they had crossed blades, she too had allowed herself to fall into the routine skirmish. That maybe she had held back, that her anger wasn't strong enough to truly want him dead.

This was no longer the case.

This fight would be the one, he came to understand. It would be the fight to end all fights – their final show-down. Eight years of practice, of learning each other's rhythm, all culminating in this single moment. Today he would kill Sakura Haruno, or she would kill him, and their dance of destruction would finally be over.

He was disappointed in a way. Kabuto had a small place in what used to be his heart where he kept fondness, and if he was fond of anyone it was Sakura. Her death would be a loss to the medical community as a whole, and a private loss to himself. To his amusement, and his ire. No longer would he gaze upon that saccharine pink hair and pale expanse of skin, no longer would he taunt her to the point of tears. No more excitement.

What must be done, must be done.

Kabuto drank her in during that last fight, like a man leaving the spring for the desert. He savored every delicate movement, raked his eyes over her body, and was pleased to note that she had indeed become a woman. He baited her with talk of Sasuke, and countered each blow with finesse. When the time came, and his chakra-scalpel was ready, he even enjoyed the feel of her smooth skin beneath his fingertips. Even as the muscles ripped below, her skin was enchanting. He could even imagine that her scent – like the flower of her namesake – was present in the air.

It was going to end the way it began: with taijutsu. Both parties dangerously low on chakra, still locked in the fierce intoxication of blood-lust. This was where their usual act ended, but it was finally time for the encore. And just as before, she was still the weaker one. Without her powerful ninjutsu, Sakura was on the defense. Kabuto led, pushing her further and further back until he found an opening and took it. A swipe under the legs and she was down, him on top of her in a second. No room for escape. She was pinned between his legs, and Kabuto sat his full weight on her hips. In a flash he had his kunai out, just as Sakura began attempting to wiggle one out from beneath her backside.

He caught her arm, hiking it over her head and using all of his strength to keep it pressed solidly into the dirt. This forced him to lean forward somewhat, and left the two face-to-face. Only half a foot between their noses. He could feel her ragged breath coming out in puffs against his cheeks, and he pressed the kunai against her throat.

A flash of fear in her eyes.

Kabuto paused, suddenly unable to finish the job. He held the knife there, arm shaking.

 _Do it, do it!_

He couldn't. Sakura apparently picked up on his struggle, a characteristic crease forming between her pink eyebrows. Kabuto growled, pulling the kunai away and slamming in into the ground next to her head. Sakura jerked as he dropped her hands and clasped both his palms tightly around her throat. He squeezed as tight as he could, eyes all the while boring in to her own. So focused on her face and the way her skin was slowing starting to match her hair, he didn't hear the sounds behind him. Her lips had parted in a gasp, and Kabuto felt a sudden intense desire to…

To what?

He squeezed tighter still, leaning forward, closing the gap between their faces. Sakura's nails were scratching mercilessly at the skin of his forearms – he knew the damage would be extensive. But her grip was weakening, and his was not. She was beet-red now, the veins apparent in the forehead. His mouth blocked hers, while his thumbs pressed deeply, closing her larynx.

 _It has truly been a pleasure, Sakura-san_.

And that's when Naruto Uzumaki, the number-one hyperactive knucklehead ninja, slammed a kunai into his kidney.


	2. Chapter 1

**Strange Terrain:**

Chapter 1

 **A.N.:**

Thanks for all the follows, guys! I'm trying to keep these chapters generally short so that I can make updates quickly. Please leave me some reviews if you like it! I certainly appreciate it. Enjoy!

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Soft green light illuminated Sakura Haruno's tired face. The incessant beeping of a heart-monitor droned on in the background, long having become static noise passing unnoticed through the girl's ears.

"Clamps."

Sakura passed a pair of clamps to her mentor with the practiced ease of a student who had spent many sleepless nights repairing the broken bodies of friends and comrades under Tsunade's guidance. The Godaime did little more than nod at her apprentice, far too busy with her hands deep in the chest of their patient.

A few minutes later she spoke. "How is his leg?"

"I've managed to stop the hemorrhaging from the superficial femoral artery, but the bone's splintered in several places. I'm worried it'll open something up. At the very least, he won't be walking any time soon."

"We don't need him walking - just breathing."

Sakura would have smiled, but they'd been at this for four hours now and she was wearing out. She'd already done her best to repair a collapsed lung, as well as supplying a consistent flow of chakra to increase osteoblast and red blood cell production. Tsunade's one job was keeping that wretched heart beating until they'd patched him up well enough that it wouldn't immediately shut down from the shock of such massive blood-loss.

"You should do something about his kidney. I've been holding the renal artery in place, but I can't do it much longer."

Truth be told, Sakura was saving the kidney for last because she so enjoyed knowing just what had happened to it. Kabuto Yakushi, stabbed in the kidney by a boy he'd done nothing but mock as a weakling for years. Poetic justice.

Of course, what Naruto had proceeded to do to him after that may have been considered to some as 'overkill', but he'd already been near the verge of releasing the Nine Tails when he'd come on to the scene in the first place. A fun fact about kidney damage: as a practical epicenter of nerves bundled around one of the most prolific arteries in the body, any extensive damage sends the body almost immediately into complete shock. Coupled with his previous wounds from fighting Sakura, the fact that Kabuto had not only managed to curb the blood-flow, but did so while fending off Naruto's manic attacks, was a medical miracle. She attributed it to his fantastic abilities as a medic – what little chakra he'd had left had gone to keeping his renal artery in-tact for as long as possible until help arrived.

He probably did not imagine that help would end up being the girl he'd been trying so seriously to asphyxiate.

Sakura threaded her chakra once more into the man's body, eyes closing, feeling her way through his now familiar circulatory system. She examined his kidney from the inside, noting that the renal artery had already partially healed. Tsunade's chakra had formed a temporary arterial wall, allowing blood to continue flowing. Sakura joined it, strengthening the makeshift wall while simultaneously encouraging the growth of new endothelial cells.

She was exhausted.

An hour later, the operation was a success. Kabuto remained unconscious, covered in medical and binding seals, his leg slung up high, his body covered in superficial scratches. He'd have a long road to recovery, but Sakura didn't much care about that. She'd been so busy working to keep this traitorous spy alive that she hadn't had time to take care of herself. The mirror in her locker at the hospital revealed a girl with sunken eyes and vicious red marks around her neck. She fingered them lightly, wincing, and allowed the little chakra she had left to ease into her own skin and dissipate the bruises. They did not completely disappear, but they were softer now. Less angry. That was enough.

On the walk home that night Sakura found herself mulling over the day's events. She wondered if it had been foolish to think she could ever beat Kabuto in a fight. It was unfair, really. It seemed as if she had started off at such a disadvantage, and no matter how much she progressed, he was always leagues ahead. Just like every person around her, it seemed.

Sakura sighed.

The fact that she had held her own at all was something, but not the kind of something that she found entirely satisfying. Even after two years of training just to face him, she still ended up on the losing end. Saved by Naruto, again.

Those two years…

She closed her eyes, walking down the cobblestone paths of Konoha that she had memorized as a child. Soft moonlight embraced the girl's lone figure. Her thoughts turned to the many friends she'd seen return home in all but pieces after facing Kabuto; remembered the rage she felt build in her chest each time she thought she might lose one, and the sleepless nights wondering just who he would send her next. It had actually begun to feel personal, as if he were saying, 'If you won't face me, I'll destroy every person you care about until you do.'

But that was silly. She was nothing to Kabuto, a nuisance. A distraction from the real fight.

She wondered what would have happened had the tables been turned. Kabuto didn't seem to hesitate at all at the thought of snuffing her out like a light, but could she do the same? At first it had seemed so, but deep down Sakura was gentle. A healer in spirit. She did not want to watch anyone die… maybe that's why she stopped Naruto in the first place. Screamed at him not to put a hole in the place where supposedly Kabuto had a heart.

Obviously her hate was not strong enough, not even at a man who had systematically broken her bones and cut her muscles, stopped her friends' hearts, and perhaps worst of all – kept Sasuke from coming home.

She deserved to lose.

Sakura realized with a start that she had come to the door of her single-bedroom apartment. She fiddled around in her backpack a moment, pink strands of hair falling into her face, before she produced a small keyring. One for the hospital, one for her small office (an off-shoot of Tsunade's), and one for the apartment. The door stuck a bit, and she had to use her shoulder to push it open. _Note to self: bribe Naruto with ramen to fix this_.

It was dark in the apartment. Moonlight fell in beams from her open windows, the midnight air cooling what would otherwise be a sweltering room. Summer in the Land of Fire was a bit like living inside an oven, and Sakura had gotten used to feeling like roasted pig.

Speaking of…

A rustle from the couch, and then the pitter-patter of hooves on wood. Tonton squealed, jumping into Sakura's arms and making her drop her keys. She laughed, the melancholy mood from early lifting almost immediately at the appearance of her mentor's ridiculous pet. The pig would be here until Shizune returned from her latest mission, and Sakura was sorely glad for the company.

She kicked the door shut behind her, allowing Tonton to jump to the floor and scurry off into the kitchen. _Must be hungry_ …

At that, Sakura's stomach twisted and growled. How long had it been since she'd eaten? At least sixteen hours. Probably more. She hadn't thought about it until now.

 _No wonder I'm feeling so weak and whiny!_

Sakura followed the pig into her small kitchen, careful to avoid scattering the various notes and study materials strewn across her otherwise barren floor. The papers were piled high on and around her coffee table, occasionally ruffling when a soft stream of air came in through the window. Besides her projects and scrawled notes on medical ninjutsu, Sakura's apartment was sterile. She kept it much like she would any operating room – the only real decoration was a small picture on the counter of the original Team 7, and a single white lily in a vase next to it.

That night Sakura treated herself to a heaping serving of onigiri, and even had a glass of wine with dinner. She wasn't of age, but had been given the bottle at her house-warming and kept it for just such occasions. Her legs were buzzing by the time she went to bed, the cartilage in her knees feeling as if it may have turned to jello at some point. What a strange feeling, indeed. Why did Tsunade like it so much?

When her head finally hit the pillow, Sakura was out like a light. She dreamt that her lips were bruised, and Kabuto Yakushi had stolen her last breath.

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Face-down in the pillows, spread eagle across the bed, her comforter long kicked to the floor - Sakura jerked into consciousness. Tonton was nestled comfortably into her side, but the force of the girl's awakening did not seem to stir the pig. Three shrill knocks at the door. The small red-numbered clock on her nightstand read '6:52', and Sakura felt a sudden rush of annoyance that she had not been allowed to sleep eight more minutes until the time the alarm was set to go off. She pushed her face back into the warmth of her pillows, hoping upon hope to reclaim slumber.

More knocking.

"Fine!" she yelled, snapping up. Tonton gave a small annoyed squeal and hopped off the bed, finding Sakura's discarded comforter and curling up inside of it. The girl stared bleary eyed for a moment, before raking a hand through her disheveled hair and stepping down onto the cool wooden floor of her room. She grabbed a small pair of green sleeping-shorts off of the floor and slid in to them, relishing the feel of the soft material against her skin.

When she finally made it to the door she found Naruto Uzumaki on the other side. Sakura glared at him through the peephole, before attempting to pull the door open and being met with resistance. She hiked a foot up onto the wall, grabbed the handle, and pulled with all her might.

The door swung open so easily she almost went crashing into the coffee table.

Naruto looked surprised, fist still hanging in the air as if he'd been about to knock again. Sakura caught herself, straightening up and pulling down her tank-top. "What's up?" she asked coolly, deciding that if anyone would let her get away with looking like an idiot, it was Naruto.

"Hey Sakura," the boy smirked, squinting to hide the obvious amusement on his face. "Sorry to drop by so early, but I brought you breakfast!" He immediately held up a bag of Ichiraku take-away, and Sakura would have sighed if not for her long-ago acceptance that Naruto did not _eat_ anything else. She stepped back from the door, motioning for him to come inside, which the boy did happily.

Her alarm went off. 7:00.

Naruto busied himself in the kitchen preparing their breakfast while Sakura ventured into her room to silence the affronting machine. When she returned there were two steaming bowls on the coffee table, and her notes had been not-so-gently placed on the floor. " _Naruto_ ," she hissed, skidding over to the various texts and papers to make sure they hadn't gotten out of order, "how many times do I have to tell you not to move my stuff?"

"Just once more?" he offered, already slurping up his pork ramen. He added with a full mouth, "I wouldn't have to touch it if you kept it somewhere else."

Of course, it sounded a bit more like 'Ow und't av' to…'

Maybe he had a point, but Sakura liked doing her work in the living room. It felt somehow less… lonely.

"Not that I don't appreciate the food," she broke her chopsticks, taking a moment to stir the ramen. "…But what are you doing awake so early? I never see you around before noon unless we're on a mission."

"I wanted to check on you."

Sakura took a moment to truly look at her friend. He was still covered in bandages, although in all likelihood his body had already healed itself from the burning chakra of the Kyuubi. Still, the disapproving medic in her came out. "Check on _me_?" she grumbled, emphasizing the last bit. "You should be in the hospital resting, not worrying about me."

Naruto rested his chopsticks on the side of his bowl, looking up at Sakura. The intensity in his eyes made her suddenly very self-conscious. He had that look that said ' _I will die to protect you_ ', and any time he used it on her she felt as if she wanted to hide her face. After a moment she mumbled, "I'm fine…" weakly, unconsciously rubbing the bruises on her neck. Still those burning blues bore into her. "Really." She offered more resolutely.

Clicking his tongue, Naruto went back to eating. It wasn't until he'd finished his ramen and the rest of Sakura's (it was a little tradition they had) that his true motives surfaced.

"So…" he began, scooping up their bowls and heading into the kitchen. "Kabuto is still alive."

"Yes. For now."

"Why?"

Sakura wasn't exactly surprised by this confrontation. After so much time spent trying to destroy this man – this obstacle – what reason did they have for saving his life? She'd already thought on it much herself, realizing that the 'medic's code' would mean very little to Naruto - who had seen her arms and legs broken, her muscles severed, their friends bloodied and beaten… all at the hands of a man who now slept peacefully under guard in the center of the village he had once helped try to destroy.

"I couldn't let you kill him. I didn't want to. Not when you were like that."

She was referring, of course, to his Kyuubi form. In the many years they had known each other, Sakura had seen her friend and teammate take several lives. It was never a duty either of them enjoyed, and it took an emotional toll on all of the shinobi of the Leaf Village, but somehow it seemed that whenever Naruto killed someone under the influence of the Kyuubi the regret was stronger. The self-loathing he underwent lasted for weeks, as if he blamed himself for not having the control needed to complete a mission on his own. For not being able to find another way.

Naruto was famous for finding another way. A friend to all, truly.

"I wouldn't have lost it. Not over him." The blond was slowly scrubbing her bowls, and Sakura shifted uncomfortably in the doorway.

"I know," a quick glance towards the empty wine bottle on the counter, "but it's better that he is alive. We have him - our first solid link to Sasuke."

Naruto perked up at the mention of their old teammate, a familiar intensity filling the air. The same one that always accompanied their conversations about the last Uchiha. "Do you really think we can get him to tell us about Sasuke?" he seemed sheepish, as if after so long it was impossible to believe they might actually make progress.

"I don't know," Sakura answered honestly. "But if he won't, we'll put him to death for his crimes."

"And we'll bring Sasuke home either way!" Naruto added, the tension breaking. Sakura leaned over and gave her friend's hand a soft squeeze.

"Hell yeah we will."


	3. Chapter 2

**Strange Terrain:**

Chapter 2

 **Author's Note:**

I'm keeping these chapters short so that I can produce them quickly. Thanks for the reviews and follows! They lift my spirit! As always, enjoy-

 **Edit:**

I have decided to merge chapters 2 & 3 because I felt they read better as a single chapter. Sorry for the false update!

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"Lee-san, you're _supposed_ to be resting."

Sakura tried to suppress the ever-growing vein in her forehead. Two hours and thirty minutes into her rounds, and she'd only managed to see five patients. With children running around the hospital, elderly patients refusing to take their medicines, and ninja trying to train _in their rooms_ \- the hospital felt like a place of chaos.

"Sakura-san, I am fine!" Lee punched in the air for emphasis, before wavering on his feet and over-dramatically gasping and grabbing his ankle. He fell to his butt in the middle of the hallway. "This… is nothing."

"Lee…" she started, bending down to look him in the eyes. She was careful to be sure her white nurse's dress did not rise too high. "If you don't rest that sprain, it's only going to get worse." This felt a little bit like talking a child into staying in bed. "You want to train, right?"

Lee nodded, his large round eyes filling with patriotic tears. Sakura mentally rolled her eyes.

"Then you need to stay in in your room." She rose gracefully, offering him her hand and grunting only slightly when he put his full weight into standing up.

Once Lee was safely deposited in his room and she'd done a full chakra scan of his ankle (training too hard, _again_ ) Sakura found herself walking briskly through the hallways of Konoha's massive medical center. She fumbled with the files in her arms, going through a mental checklist of everyone she needed to see today before she could end her nursing shift and get back to work in her office. Emerald eyes scanning each name written on the manila folders, and one in particular caught her eye.

 _Kabuto Yakushi?_

What was he doing on her rounds? He was an S-class prisoner, currently being held in a private room many floors beneath the hospital. These rounds were assigned at random. _Any_ nurse could have gotten ahold of this. It wasn't even public information that they had captured him!

Sakura was so engrossed in her thoughts about what kind of panic would have occurred if it were to become common knowledge among the staff that a man very capable of wiping out the entirety of their ranks was currently in a coma underneath their feet would cause that she did not hear her name being called by a meek voice behind her. She kept walking, fully intending on giving whoever had put this file into rotation a piece of her mind, when a timid finger tapped her shoulder.

"Ahh!" Sakura almost jumped out of her skin, whipping around violently and dropping her files. Hinata Hyuuga stood behind her, looking out of breath and blushing furiously.

"Sakura-san!" the girl gasped in her soft voice, "I'm so sorry!"

Hinata was immediately crouched down furiously gathering the folders. Sakura simply stared, mind lagging in an attempt to understand what had just happened. She gathered her senses and began collecting her patient files as well. "That's fine, I didn't mean to startle you Hinata. You don't have to pick these up."

The girl merely shook her head, eyes glued to the floor. She offered Sakura the files without looking up, before stuttering out, "It was m-my fault. I, um... I couldn't get your attention… You were walking so fast, so I thought…"

"Really, it was my fault," Sakura assured her, already feeling slightly exasperated at the Hyuuga formality. She took the files and straightened them out, smoothing her dress as she did so. Hinata did this as well, her own nursing uniform looking much tighter in some areas than Sakura's was. It was somewhat annoying that they were required to wear such ridiculous getups when both girls were clearly senior staff, but rounds with the nursing staff was part of their internships, and there wasn't preferential treatment no matter who you were.

Still, Sakura didn't think hers looked nearly as good.

"Is there something you needed?" she asked, shuffling her files back in to order and only half paying attention.

"Ah! Y-yes. Tsunade-sama asked me to find you and tell you to report to her office immediately." Hinata bounced her forefingers together, still not looking up. How could one person be _so_ shy?

"Oh, okay. Did she say why?" Sakura's mind flashed to the Yakushi file. Maybe it wasn't random that it had ended up in her rotation after-all?

"N-no…" the girl looked up from under her eyelashes, a faint blush still present on her cheeks. "She said it was important, though…"

Sakura nodded and offered Hinata her thanks with a smile. Before the girl could respond, she had already turned around and resumed her swift pace. Tsunade's office was located at the top of the medical center, and Sakura made it there in record time. The rest of her rounds could wait. After all, one doesn't keep the Godaime waiting.

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XXX

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Three sharp knocks on Tsunade's door was all Sakura offered before she pushed through and stepped inside. Tsunade was alone, standing in front of her desk with her palms planted solidly on the oak. She did not look up when Sakura entered the room, instead muttering something to herself before calling the girl's name.

"Sakura," her mentor spoke her name with no formality. "You're late."

"I got here as soon as I could, Tsunade-sama."

Sakura stood behind the Godaime, her files clutched roughly in front of her stomach. Tsuande finally turned, smoothing a straw-colored stand of hair back behind her ear. "You got the file?" she asked, eyeing the manila folders.

So it wasn't an accident. "The Yakushi file? I was surprised to see it in my rounds. I've got it. Why?"

"Have you had a chance to study it?"

Sakura blinked. This was just like her mentor – expecting that she would spend every waking moment working. Tsunade was always pushing her like this, and while it had helped her to make leaps as bounds as a medic, it could sometimes be frustrating. ' _You read 80 pages? Why not 100?'_ or ' _You finished half your files, but not the other half?'_ Still, pointing out that she had only just received the file would not please the Godaime, so Sakura settled for a quick shake of her head. "I haven't."

Tsunade sighed, and suddenly Sakura was aware of the dark circles under her eyes and the frazzled nature of her hair. She looked exhausted.

"Well I have," the woman started, leaning back against the desk and crossing her arms under her breast. "I've been trying to decide what exactly we're going to do with him."

Sakura stepped forward and discarded her other patient files on Tsunade's desk. Her mentor watched as she opened Kabuto's folder and leafed through the pages; it was obvious Tsunade had been up all night making notes. There was a full transcription of the procedure they'd given him the night before, as well as several pages of intelligence gathered about his medical history. No wonder the woman looked exhausted. Her scrawling doctor's handwriting covered just about every margin, notes on his known jutsu and affiliation with Orochimaru intersecting with the biological information that they'd found during his preliminary examinations.

At the bottom of the last page a single word was written in large red letters. RESILIENCY. A flash of cold shot through Sakura's stomach. That word…

"And what have you decided?" she asked, looking up carefully. She tried to maintain a smooth composure, but if Tsunade was about to suggest what it seemed like… well, that was out of the question. It was unethical. They would be no better than he was.

Tsunade took the file, flipping back to the page on his medical information. "We both know he's too dangerous to keep here. This is a civilian hospital, not a prison. Even unconscious, it's not safe." Sakura nodded, waiting for the woman to continue. Instead she ran a finger down the page, apparently lost in thought. "You know what I am going to suggest, Sakura."

"We can't!" she burst out, stepping forward so that her face was close to Tsunade's. Sakura composed herself and stepped back, taking a breath. "It's not ready. It hasn't been tested."

"He's the perfect test subject. With his healing skills combined with our own, the chances of success are very high. It's your jutsu, Sakura. You know better than anyone that he is the perfect candidate."

Her jutsu? That was true. Sakura had spent the last year studying sealing techniques, trying desperately to design something that could work both defensively and offensively – something that could stop even Orochimaru. After all that time and experimentation she had found it, her very own jutsu. Nothing else in the world quite like it. Similar to the seal created by the Fourth Hokage which sealed the great fox spirit inside of Naruto, this jutsu was designed to selectively suppress the wearer's chakra so that it could not be accessed. It had a special provision that she had added in specifically for use against dangerous criminals, but so far she had not had the opportunity to actually test it.

"He could die," she said pragmatically.

"If we don't use it, he's going to die anyways."

Sakura didn't understand, and her face must have shown it. Tsunade continued, "We are not equipped to keep him here. If he were to become well enough to be useful in interrogation, he would be well enough to escape. He already knows this village, and the powers of the ninja within it. Look me in the eye and tell me you believe a few seals and an ANBU guard would be enough to keep him here..? That he wouldn't do everything in his power to escape confinement, and that he wouldn't take our friends and comrades with him? We don't even know all of his strengths."

Biting her lip, Sakura stayed silent. She couldn't say that. A part of her knew that Kabuto Yakushi was hiding great power – that he could easily destroy many of their great ninja. It was unrealistic to expect the entire shinobi army of the Leaf to guard one prisoner…

"Our only option is to neutralize him – one way, or another."

"So it's an execution!" Sakura's voice was harsh. This was not her ninja way. "Either we kill him while he sleeps, or let my seal do it for us..?"

Nonplussed, Tsunade stepped away from the desk and went to stand in front of the wide windows overlooking their village. "I do not make this suggestion lightly, Sakura. Study his file. I truly believe it would be a success." She turned to face the girl. "This is my will as the Fifth Hokage. Kabuto Yakushi will be stripped of his ability to harm this village, and as you are the only one who can use that jutsu, it's your decision how. Will he be executed, or will we try another way? Without him, we lose a great opportunity to learn more about that snake Orochimaru, and a chance to bring Sasuke Uchiha home."

 _Sasuke…_

The name still wrapped her heart with sadness. She thought back to her conversation with Naruto earlier that morning. Did Kabuto truly hold the keys to bringing home their lost friend? If so, the ethical dilemma with which she was faced only became more complicated. Her head began to hurt, her mood suddenly dark and spiraling.

"I request time to examine his file for myself, and to run my own analyses on his body. I need to believe that there is at least a fifty-one percent chance of success… otherwise…"

Otherwise she would be no better than he was, using a convenient body to test unstable jutsu. She would not let her hands – the hands of a healer – be tainted in such a way.

A small voice spoke up in the back of her mind. _Isn't it a healer's job to at least try?_

She knew then that she would – that she could not let this asset slip through her fingers. Not like the countless times she'd already failed to defeat the Sound and bring Sasuke home. It was time to be a big girl, and to make the hard decisions.

"Go now," Tsuande ordered, seeming magnificently strong to the girl in front of her. Sakura wanted so badly to feel as resolute as her mentor. "I expect to hear from you by the end of the day."

And so, grasping her files with white knuckles, she left.

* * *

XXX

* * *

Sakura stood resolutely in front of the ANBU guard stationed outside of Kabuto's room. Neither of them had said anything for several minutes, and the pink-haired girl was starting to get annoyed. A florescent bulb blinked overhead, casting dank shadows through the concrete hallway (which was already quite barren and depressing, being located several floors beneath the main building).

She cleared her throat. "I'm here to see the patient. Tsunade-sama requested that I come immediately."

The guard finally looked at her, face obscured by his or her ANBU mask. Sakura never really liked ANBU members - they were too secretive, and more often than not the rank got to their heads. She was sure she could beat at least half of the ANBU members in a fair fight, but most of them acted as if she were a helpless medic who had no place outside of an operating room.

"You mean the prisoner?" He asked, and Sakura could tell it was a man by his voice.

Annoying. "Right now he's my patient, I don't care what you call him. Now, let me in."

The guard acquiesced without a word, stepped to the side and pushing open the heavy red-oak door behind him. Sakura stepped through, offering only a sideways glance in thanks, and the door slammed shut behind her. She was greeted with the ever-familiar sound of softly beeping machines and pumps. In the center of the room hung a single struggling light, illuminating the hospital bed directly beneath it. She approached it cautiously, something about the peaceful expression on her patient's face putting her more on-guard than usual.

It was hard to imagine that Kabuto Yakushi was defenseless. She could kill him right now, if she wanted. She should probably want to.

Sakura reached subconsciously to the kunai pouch on her thigh, but was met with nothing but bare skin. Self-consciously she realized that in her hurry she had forgotten to change out of her nursing uniform. Great, she thought, if the lighting was just a little more awful this would be a fantastic opening scene to a porno. The sexy nurse, the illicit traitor…

She chuckled, pressing cool fingers to her cheeks. Surely they were bright red.

Straightening up and getting back in to professional mode, Sakura approached the bed. Kabuto was asleep with his head back and his neck exposed, the skin of his eyelids stretched like thin paper over his trembling eyes. She imagined that if she were to look hard enough she would be able to see those inky black irises darting around beneath the surface. Thin blue veins spidered out across his cheekbones, and there were multiple sickly green subcutaneous hematomas formed all around his body.

Sakura ghosted a finger over one on his neck, before tracing the thin visible veins up past his check and to his eye. Her finger rested there a moment, and she found herself staring directly into his sleeping face. Never before had she seen him so clearly. It was hard to look away, and she had to remind herself exactly why she was here.

Dropping her hand to her side, the girl took a moment to check the readings displayed on one of the many monitors surrounding Kabuto. Pulse looked good, surprisingly. At the bottom of the bed Sakura found his chart, and she leafed through it uninterestedly for a few minutes. Tsunade had been keeping meticulous track of his blood-pressure, which had dropped dangerously low during their operation. It was already approaching normal, healthy levels.

 _Just what kind of man are you?_ She wondered, returning the chart before taking a moment to ritualistically crack her knuckles.

The initial chakra scan of his body showed that his physical state had already drastically improved. The arteries that they had spent the better part of the previous night repairing were already working near full capacity, and his bones were in the process of fusing back together. There were still fragments in his leg, but even those appeared to have been partially reabsorbed. His kidney hadn't healed yet, but that's why there are two of them. Anyways, they'd set up a small dialysis machine just in case. There were several long thin tubes, red with blood, traveling to and from his body.

Sakura was worried about those hematomas, though. There were more than she remembered, and that meant that he was likely still bleeding somewhere. Even the best medics miss things when they are fatigued. She went about trying to find the source, his body becoming an image inside her mind. Lost in the procedure, she spent the better part of fifteen minutes finding various small veins which had burst and clotted naturally overnight, and encouraging his body's leukocytes to absorb the blood which had built up under his skin.

It was engrossing, so much so that Sakura hardly noticed the small movements beneath her hands. She was working on a particularly large blood-blister on his leg when a sound caught her attention.

"…akura…"

Sakura almost jumped out of her skin, ripping her hands away from Kabuto's body mid-operation. She whipped her head up to look at him, and found that the man's dark eyes were open and staring straight at the ceiling.

"Sakura," he rasped again, a shiver trembling down his body.

"You're awake?" She tried not to gasp, to seem unsurprised. The truth was, this shouldn't even be possible. His body should in full shut-down while it tried to repair itself. This man continued to be a medical marvel that rivaled even Naruto in his ability to surprise her.

Kabuto was eerily still. When he opened his mouth, it seemed almost painful. His voice was soft and sounded as if it came from the back of his throat. "What are you… doing..?" Each word was labored, and he had not shifted his eyes from the light overhead.

Sakura didn't know how to respond. In her wildest dreams she hadn't imagined she would be in this situation, with Kabuto of all people. Her medical training kicked in, and at a loss for any other response she decided to treat him as she would any other patient. "I'm scanning your body to assess the damage. We were barely able to keep you alive, but you've already made impressive progress."

"…Why?"

Why? That was a silly question. He was a medic, after-all. He knew the procedures. She humored him anyways; "It's important that we monitor your progress in order to ascertain exactly how much treatment you will need."

"No…" he started, laboriously shifting his head to finally look at her. Sakura wanted to shy away from that piercing gaze. "Why am I…"

"…Alive?" She finished for him, realizing that he had probably been so far under he had no idea what was even happening. Kabuto nodded his head almost imperceptibly, creasing his brow from the strain. That was a more difficult question. Sakura absently returned to her administrations, light green chakra illuminating both of their faces as she mentally followed his skeletal structure. "You are of more use to us alive than dead," she mumbled, not bothering to look at him.

Kabuto dropped his head back on the pillow, exhaling air sharply through his nose. "Sasuke?" he asked, his voice seeming to have regained some of its strength. "You guys… never give up." Sakura ignored him until he added a soft, "It's pathetic."

"Information about Sasuke isn't the only thing we want from you, Kabuto."

He chuckled, and it sounded painful. Especially with the heaving cough that followed. "I'm surprised you can think about anything else," he said, a small rivulet of blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. Sakura stepped towards the head of the bed and glared down at his face, thumbing the blood away more forcefully than necessary.

"I think about lots of things." She wrapped her hand around his throat, finding many micro-lesions inside. "…Like how that cough might have re-collapsed your lung." Kabuto was silent as she healed his throat, staring intently at her face the entire time. Sakura looked away uncomfortably.

A slight sensation on her upper thigh caught the girl's attention. She glanced down, and it took her longer than she was proud of for her to process that Kabuto had grabbed the bottom of her uniform between his forefinger and thumb and was rubbing the material between those fingers.

"What the-"

"What is this ridiculous thing?" His voice sounded much clearer now, and Sakura immediately regretted healing his throat even partially. She slapped his hand away and stepped back, furiously smoothing her dress. Her face felt extremely hot, and she wasn't sure if it was with anger or embarrassment. Probably a little of both.

"It's… we're required to…" Sakura glared hard at his face. "I don't have to explain myself to you. Go back to sleep, you're exerting yourself and pissing me off. I might just let you die."

Kabuto shrugged his arm back on to the hospital bed, the hint of a smirk on his lips. "Seems like a bit of a waste… after you've put so much effort in to keeping me alive."

"I'm not doing it for charity."

A long time passed with Kabuto saying nothing. Sakura hesitantly returned to his examination, always keeping his hands in her peripheral vision. Her heart was beating faster than usual. She wanted to ask him more about his regeneration, but when she finally worked up the nerve to address him she found the medic with his eyes closed and lips slightly parted, breathing unevenly. It looked like he wouldn't be maintaining any lengthy sessions of consciousness for the time being. That was probably a good thing, because her nerves were shot.

When she finally finished, an hour later, Sakura took a moment to look at Kabuto's face. She found her eyes straying to his lips, which were chapped and white. It was… uncomfortable… looking at them. She felt an odd sensation – the wisp of a memory which she couldn't quite access – gnawing at her.

Annoying.

* * *

XXX

* * *

Later that evening Sakura met with Tsunade and informed her mentor that she was willing to go through with the sealing technique. Kabuto's impressive healing abilities – whether they were natural or, more likely, chakra-enhanced – made him the perfect subject for the jutsu. It was difficult; she felt as though she were betraying her ethics by agreeing to use an untested technique on a prisoner, but the examination had given her confidence that this would not be a death sentence.

Hopefully…

Sakura did have one condition. It was important that his bones be allowed to fully heal before she could administer the seal. If they were to shift of change after it was applied, the integrity of jutsu would be threatened.

Tsunade agreed to these terms, seeming pleased that her pupil had reached the same medical conclusion that she had. Sakura got the distinct impression that the Godaime was relieved, and the image of her resolute mentor willing to execute a defenseless man to protect the village eased in her mind. There was still a feeling of reverence, though. Sakura knew with no doubt that Tsunade would put aside her own ethics in order to protect the people under her charge. This was one of the many moments Sakura found herself hoping to someday glean some of her mentor's strength.

"I'll leave his care to you, then." Tsunade informed her. Sakura wasn't sure how she felt about the idea of spending countless hours in that dank room far beneath the rest of the hospital, healing a man who did not deserve to feel the warmth of her chakra. "This is an S-class mission, Sakura. I expect you to finish quickly, so that we may administer the seal and move him somewhere more secure."

"I understand," Sakura tried to feign confidence. She had to remind herself that this was for Sasuke, and ultimately for the protection of the entire Leaf village.

With that Sakura gathered her things and left Tsunade's office. She stopped by the locker-room on her way out, changing out of that god-forsaken nurse's uniform and slipping back into her usual Haruno garb. She hung the dress in her locker, and found herself fingering the area at the bottom of the hem where Kabuto had kneaded the material. How was it possible that a man who could barely cling to consciousness was bothering her so much?

She slammed the locker shut and went home, helping herself to a big meal before settling down to a long night of studying. With Tonton nestled in her lap, Sakura spent the evening writing notes over Kabuto's physiology and planning out exactly how she intended to reshape his skeletal structure. Tomorrow she would see him again, and she could only hope this time he would stay asleep.

It was not going to be a pleasant experience for either of them.


	4. Chapter 3

**Strange Terrain:**

Chapter 3.

 **Author's Note:**

I wanted to take a moment to thank all of my reviewers. You know who you are, because there aren't very many of you. I just wanted to say that every comment you guys leave means the world to me, and your feedback is very encouraging. I particularly enjoy hearing about where y'all think the story is going and I hope I can keep you excited with my twists and turns. You have my best, affectionately.

* * *

XXX

* * *

"Good morning, Sakura-san."

It was early. Sakura had arrived at the hospital with a small knot in her stomach, and it hadn't done much to abate itself over the hour she'd already spent in the cold medical room many floors below everyone else. Part of her had been waiting for Kabuto to awaken – and that part had been dreading it. This time she was determined to keep the cool and calm demeanor of a professional, though. She would not allow him the satisfaction of throwing her off-guard.

"Kabuto," she answered stoically, her features schooled into an impassive expression as she continued her work on his broken leg. It had to be reset that morning, and Sakura was sure when she gave his ankle a sharp tug that the man would have shot up in his bed and screamed at her.

He hadn't, and she'd been focusing on dissolving the bone fragments around his broken tibia ever since.

"I must say, it's a pleasure to wake up and find you here."

Sakura's face was unseeing. She'd already encouraged his body's immune cells to degrade two of the offending splinters of bone to almost half their size, but the process was difficult. The bones had sharp edges, and it was important that she ensure no veins or arteries were nipped during the reabsorption process. This required constant vigilance and careful chakra control. "Is it..?" she mumbled noncommittally, a strand of pink hair escaping her loose bun and falling into her face. Sakura did not brush it back – instead keeping both palms pressed securely against Kabuto's exposed skin.

"Yes," he answered. She felt him shift underneath her fingers. "It was lonely when I woke up last night. There isn't much to look at in here, and I can't exactly move around with these silly things clipped to me."

Now that she knew Kabuto was waking up intermittently, Sakura had instructed an ANBU guard to place several immobilization seals on him body. Two for the arms, two for the legs. One across his chest. It was pragmatic, keeping him still during her examinations and also ensuring he wouldn't try something stupid like getting out of bed and ruining all of her progress. With his body in such a compromised condition, Sakura wasn't too worried that Kabuto would be making any escape attempts. No doubt the majority of the chakra he could summon at the moment was going directly into speeding his own recovery. Whether this was conscious or unconscious, Sakura couldn't be sure. But after examining her notes last night, the girl could tell Kabuto had been releasing a small, even amount of chakra for almost the entire day.

She was very curious about this. The data she'd gathered so far suggested he had spent most of the last two days in deep sleep, yet he was still encouraging his cells to regenerate even while his mind was below the surface? Truly, Kabuto was a great healer. A great and terrible healer.

Even just looking at him, she could see the improvement. The blue lines under his skin had faded, his eyes were sharper. Some of the color had returned to his face. What had previously been dark-brown bruises had already subsided back to soft sallow marks on his body. "You have improved dramatically," she said thoughtlessly, a line appearing between her brows as she encouraged the last of the first bone fragment to dissipate.

"No doubt thanks to your excellent care," Kabuto responded. Sakura chanced a quick glance at the man's face. He was straining his neck and staring at her intently, his silver hair matted around his face and stuck to his skin with sweat.

Was that a compliment he'd just given her?

Hearing Kabuto talk in this situation was very strange. In the past, Sakura had always felt like she was a hill and he was a mountain. No matter how much she improved, he was always advancing faster. No matter how hard she fought, he fought harder. In fact, this man in front of her had taken every opportunity he could to let her know just how much of a joke she was to him. Every encounter they had was dappled with biting remarks about her weakness and uselessness on the battlefield. Even when she did manage to hurt him, Kabuto never once gave her the impression she was anything more than a blip on his radar. A needless distraction from the real fight.

And now the dynamic had changed completely. Here stood Sakura, the famed pupil of the great Godaime, far above the man who had only recently pressed his thumbs deep in to her throat and planned to watch her face as she died. She could do the same to him, if she wanted. Kabuto's life was entirely in her hands, and she realized with a start that he knew it. That anything he said in this situation reflected that knowledge.

Was it possible that he was actually grateful to her? That was ludicrous. Kabuto wasn't capable of feelings other than cold indifference and occasionally psychotic delight.

But his eyes were serious, boring into the side of her face with unwavering intensity. Sakura decidedly avoided them, instead keeping her focus on the faint glow of green chakra under her hands. She felt rather than saw the second bone fragment begin to splinter, and knew before it even happened that she would not be able to keep it from lacerating the anterior tibialis muscle. There was a sudden small flare of familiar chakra before Kabuto's leg shifted slightly and his chakra intertwined with her own, creating a thin barrier around the bone and keeping it from causing any damage.

Sakura quickly dissolved the sliver and glared up at Kabuto. Beads of sweat had broken out on his forehead, a slight flush staining his cheeks. "I… can help you," he breathed, sounding winded. She withdrew her chakra, feeling slightly offended. _I don't need your damn help!_ She wanted to growl, knowing full and well that statement may not have exactly been true.

She settled with, "You shouldn't exert yourself. I can handle it."

"Repairing the muscle is more work than simply keeping it from being damaged in the first place," Kabuto replied coolly, dropping his head back onto the pillow and exhaling roughly. "Although I am not in a place where expending chakra is easy…"

"Probably because you've been releasing it constantly." Sakura did not ask the question she wanted to, instead letting her words hang in the air and imply it on their own. She was somewhat struck though. Suddenly it felt as if she were speaking with Tsunade; the woman's commanding voice instructing her on how best to approach a patient, her chakra in the background ready to catch any of Sakura's mistakes. And what he'd done with his chakra just now? Sakura had never combined her chakra with anyone but Tsunade. It was an intimate feeling, and she didn't enjoy sharing it with him.

He chuckled. "So you've noticed. Ever vigilant, Sakura-san. I should not be surprised."

Sakura rounded the corner of the bed and picked up his chart. "Of course I've been monitoring your chakra levels. I noticed it yesterday." She flipped through a few pages. "Looks like there was a spike last night – I'm guessing when you woke up. But it was the constant base expenditure which caught my attention." Looking up, she found Kabuto's eyes once against trained on her face. He looked almost… amused? "…it's much higher than it should be for any base expenditure, and coupled with the progress you've made physically…"

His lips twisted up into a satisfied grin.

"I've never seen anyone except Naruto heal themselves unconsciously before. But the Nine Tails does not go dormant when he does, so that makes sense. Yours… doesn't," she finished.

"I could teach you, if you wanted." Kabuto sounded coy, his smile making her feel anxious.

Sakura hooked the chart back on to the end of the bed. "No thanks," she offered. "Seems stupid to me. If I were in your situation I'd be saving my chakra up for one large burst instead of disbursing it at a constant rate." She made her way back to the side of the bed, taking a moment to check his monitors.

"Is that what you would do?" he asked thoughtfully.

It struck Sakura as strange that he _hadn't_ been doing that. The seals on his arms and legs could easily be dismantled with a sharp chakra burst. His body was indeed damaged, but shouldn't he still be at least _trying_ to escape his bonds? Instead he was laying in that bed talking to her as if they were about to have tea together. She felt frustrated, realizing that this was Kabuto and he probably had some kind of perverse plan at which she could never guess even if she tried.

Oh well, she thought. It didn't matter what he was planning. Not once that seal went on him. The seal was the point of no return and he was unknowingly hurtling at it faster and faster the more he healed himself. She should thank him for saving her the time.

Sakura smiled to herself, once again placing her hands on his body. This time it was just below the neck, where he'd fractured his clavicle. "Just relax, Kabuto. I'll have you fixed up in no time."

* * *

XXX

* * *

That dark room became the backdrop to the rest of her week. She spent hours on end there, leaving exhausted and chakra depleted, more than a little annoyed at whatever strange topic of conversation Kabuto managed to pull her in to while she worked. It seemed like he enjoyed messing with her - first telling her a horrible story about how he'd figured out the best way to keep test subjects alive long past the mercy of death, then growing offended when she called him a psychopath. They argued about ethics for almost two hours at one point, Sakura defending the harm principle while Kabuto called himself a simple and efficient utilitarian.

" _Do no harm_ ," she'd hissed, right out of the medic's handbook.

" _Sacrifices must be made for the good of the many_ ," he countered.

" _And what many, exactly, are your sacrifices good for?_ "

It was strange to Sakura, because late at night after she left the hospital she would find herself thinking on their conversations. She was unable to sleep, chiding herself for things she should have said or wondering about whether or not there was any truth to his words. Kabuto was a fantastically intelligent young man, and she realized he was one of the few people she'd ever met who might possibly be better read than she was. The frustration she felt when she knew he was wrong but lacked the tools necessary to prove why was so intense that sometimes she would feel her cheeks grow red-hot with anger.

And he was a contrarian. That was the worst part. At one point during an unwilling conversation about the best technique to innervate dead tissue (something he had brought after she gave him a shot in the upper thigh and realized he had no reflex reaction there) Sakura had actually agreed – medically, not ethically – with his observations, and he changed viewpoints immediately.

Sakura came to realize that he just wanted to argue with her, it didn't matter what about. One day she'd made an off-handed comment about how cold the room was, and he informed her that it was actually the perfect temperature. While shivering. Kabuto actually seemed to look forward to their conversations. On the third day of their sessions he had already prepared a goddamn _topic_ for them to talk about.

" _An action is only correct insomuch as it does not harm the ability of others to flourish_."

" _There you go with harm again. There are other philosophical values, Sakura-san._ "

" _Like what, utilitarianism? It incorporates harm into its base ethical theory, you know._ "

She found herself digging out old textbooks at the library and studying them, hungry to beat him at his own game.

" _How about instrumentality versus intrinsic worth?_ "

"… _Human life is intrinsically valuable, Kabuto. The fact that something experiences life makes that experience precious._ "

" _In what way exactly? I think people are only as valuable as the function they serve. I've heard your silly friends yelling about that during a fight more than a few times. If life is so innately valuable, then why is it that those people who have nothing except a beating heart seek_ so _desperately to find purpose?_ "

" _We're not talking about how people ascribe value to themselves. I'm telling you it is wrong to kill people because life – all life – is precious from the moment it begins. That should be a no-brainer!_ "

" _Even my life?"_

" _I think so."_

" _What about Orochimaru's?"_

"… _once. He forfeit his right to life when he chose to end so many others."_

Kabuto always got a particularly snide look on his face when he thought he had bested her in an argument. " _So what you're saying is that his life has no value because of the things he has done with it?"_

What a bastard.

Don't be mistaken – it wasn't as if Sakura willing engaged in this banter. At first she had tried dutiful silence, staring hard into nowhere in particular when he spoke. That's when things got… weird. He said stuff that made her feel awkward and embarrassed, and it was hard to work with her cheeks burning bright pink.

" _Sakura-san isn't speaking to me. I sure wish she'd wear that little white nursing dress again. It was oh-so becoming on her._ "

" _Sakura-san, do you have a boyfriend? Or are you still saving yourself for Sasuke? Speaking of saving yourself, have you ever…"_

" _No! I mean – shut up! Jesus."_

And so she was stuck, spending the better part of each day talking to a man whom she had never expected to share anything more than half-hearted insults and full-handed blows with. In the words of Shikamaru Nara: 'What a drag'.

* * *

XXX

* * *

Sakura sat in the crowded cafeteria on the second floor of the hospital with a large book of philosophy by her tray. People bustled around her, but she'd had her nose stuck in the book for well over a half-hour and had long since siphoned out the sounds of the lives around her. She held a piece of fried squid perilously with a pair of chopsticks, and as engrossed in her reading as she was, she'd already missed her mouth several times. Thoughtlessly wiping some grease from her cheek, she shoveled another bite of food down and turned the page.

"Nichomachean Ethics? Not exactly light reading, Sakura-san."

Startled from her reverie, the girl looked up and found her (temporary, she had to remind herself) teammate Sai standing above her with a tray of bon katsu balanced in his pale hands.

"When have you ever known me to engage in 'light' reading, Sai?" She retorted, dog-earing her page and closing the book lightly. Sai elegantly took a seat next to her, placing his tray on the table and regarding her with cool coal eyes.

"Fair enough." He split his chopsticks, and Sakura was struck by the similarities between wood and bone. Sai's high features turned towards her as he took a ginger bite of the chicken. "We haven't seen much of you." It was a statement, but Sakura could sense the question underneath.

She wanted to say something along the lines of, ' _that's because I've been busy pumping my chakra into a man who has on several occasions attempted to kill me'_ , but that wouldn't be an acceptable response. S-class missions were strictly classified and kept on a need-to-know basis. They didn't need to know. Instead Sakura settled for vaguely answering his unasked question by using the time-honored tradition of fudging the truth. "Tsunade-sama has had me working extra shifts at the hospital."

She mustn't have been very convincing, because Sai lofted a brow and quipped, "Haven't seen much of you there, either."

Sakura glared at him. "…It's a big hospital."

With his lips pulled into a characteristic tight smile and his eyes closed, Sai tilted his head to the side with what Sakura could only assume he had mistaken for a disarming expression. Even after working together for several years, the black-haired artist and ANBU squad leader still had an innate ability to creep her out. "No need to be defensive, Sakura-san. I naturally assumed that you were doing some kind of work relating to Konoha's newest guest." She didn't respond, instead taking a careful bite of rice and keeping her features tight with indifference. "After-all, the Hokage chose you in all of her great wisdom as a student. I can't imagine anyone better for the job."

Was he trying to probe her? What purpose would that serve?

"I appreciate your confidence in me. I'm sure you understand - even if that were the case, I couldn't really talk about it."

Sai turned away from her and back to his food, the saccharine smile falling from his face like melted butter. "Of course not. I'm here because Naruto-kun and Yamato-sensei asked me to check up on you."

Oh. "Well then why aren't they here?" she asked, catching a slippery piece of squid with her chopsticks and tossing it into her mouth gracelessly. Er suspiscion had faded, and Sakura wasn't sure why after having proved himself so many times – she still was always quick to assume Sai had ulterior motives. It was probably his dismissively polite demeanor, coupled with his dirty mouth.

Sai shrugged. "Naruto-kun is probably too shy to come to the hospital. As for Yamato-sensei… I doubt he cares enough."

Tactful as always.

She decided to ignore his last statement, instead chuckling lightly; "When has Naruto ever been shy?" Her amusement did not seem infectious, though. Her uninvited lunch companion merely deadpanned.

"Since Miss Hinata Hyuuga confessed her feelings for him on their last joint mission."

Sakura was taken aback. This was the first she'd heard anything about it, and it was a little hurtful that she was finding out from Sai. True to his nature, the pale boy continued speaking one sentence longer than he should have. "I believe after that they engaged in a lengthy session of coit-"

"Oh! No! Too much information!" Sakura waved her hands in front of her face, as if that would somehow dispel the unwanted image he had pained in her head. She stilled after a moment, sobering. Sai stared at her dispassionately for a moment before turning back to his plate as if their conversation had been about the weather and not something wildly inappropriate. Sakura's eyes dropped to her own food, and suddenly it did not seem as appetizing.

She was thinking about her own lack of experience with anything even harboring on romantic. Sure, there had been a time during her childhood when she was convinced that she loved Sasuke, but as the years had passed Sakura came to understand that those feelings had been nothing more meaningful than childish adoration. The Sasuke she thought she loved was a figment of her imagination – a projection of herself onto a beautiful prodigy whom she wished to emulate. All that time, it wasn't so much his love that she craved as it was his recognition that she was someone worthwhile. Someone who could stand on even ground with him.

But that was a pipedream, and she'd let it go years ago.

And then there were the feelings that Naruto had for her. Sakura had never mirrored them, and it wasn't something either of the two had ever actually spoken about, but there was a part of her that had always enjoyed believing someone as powerful as the Jinchuriki could desire her. It made her feel attractive. It was nice.

She was silly to think that would last. Of course it wouldn't – Naruto had his own life, and he wasn't going to chase her around like a schoolboy only to get punched in the head for his troubles.

Sakura's shoulders drooped. Still… Hinata?

"Whatever makes him happy," she muttered, moving her food around with disinterest. Sai was once again regarding her, his mouth full of bon katsu. He swallowed and took a long drag of tea from the small plastic cup on his tray.

"Do you want to know something I've learned since joining Team 7?"

Sakura smacked her lips. "…As long as it doesn't have to do with sex."

Sai smiled. "I used to believe that people were much like my paintings." Her confusion must have been apparent, because he clarified. "Black and white. I thought that people had clear driving motivations, and that they were either good or bad. Or, more aptly, they were either helpful to me or they were not. Helpful people were good, and therefore everything they did must also be good. People who opposed me were bad, and it followed that all of their actions were bad."

"Where are you going with this?"

His characteristic smile was gone, and the dark-eyed boy sunk his chin into his palm. "After joining Team 7 I came to realize that people do not fit neatly in to one category or the other. Helpful people do not always do good things, and harmful people are not necessarily evil."

It warmed Sakura's heart a little bit to know that Sai had made such progress emotionally. He usually seemed robotic in his understanding of human relationships. "Well, of course." She agreed, "People have many different motivations. No one person is all-good or all-bad."

"You say that, Sakura-san. But once you know the good side of a bad person, it changes things. Sometimes the world is easier in black and white."

She felt a pit forming in her stomach. "Why are you saying this..?"

Sai straightened, glaring intently in to her eyes. "Because Kabuto Yakushi is a deceitful and manipulative man. If I thought one person fit entirely in the 'good' category, it would be you. I don't want to see that get taken advantage of."

Sakura was so shocked by his insight that she couldn't form a response. She sat there with her mouth gapping like a fish, fists clenching and unclenching, her eyes never leaving his.

"You need not confirm or deny my suspicions, Sakura-san. Whatever Tsunade has you doing, I know you are diligent and pragmatic. My only wish was to impress upon you that you ought to be careful."

Was this offensive? Or coming from a place of genuine filial affection? Sakura couldn't be sure. There was nothing she could say that wouldn't confirm that she was working with Kabuto, and so she chose not to speak at all. Standing quickly, Sakura yanked her tray from the table and turned to walk away curtly. She'd made it two steps when she heard Sai's monotone voice pipe up behind her: "Sakura-san, you've forgotten your book."

She glanced quickly over her shoulder. "Throw it away. I don't need it."


	5. Chapter 4

**Strange Terrain:**

Chapter 4.

 **Author's Note:**

Hey guys! Sorry for taking so long to update. This chapter was a bit of a bear, and it seemed like I had an endless list of things to do each day. But here it is – longer than the last chapters too! As per usual – my deepest thanks for all of the encouraging reviews and follows. Also, I just realized I've been on FanFiction for almost 10 years now! Crazy. It's such an honor to contribute to this fantastic community.

I'm wondering if the story is progressing fast enough? Let me know what you guys think. Always my best, DCR.

Side note: This is unbete'd, so please let me know if you see any major mistakes. I'll fix them. Thanks!

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XXX

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Sakura silently entered the dimly lit operating room beneath the hospital, her conversation with Sai still fresh in her mind. She was agitated, so much so that she had practically shoved her way past the ANBU guarding the room without so much as a 'good afternoon' to spare. Not that it mattered – she came to this place so frequently that access to the area required little more than a slight incline of the head and a quick hand signal which had been determined by Tsunade after her initial scan of Kabuto's physical state. She didn't bother with that today, and it wasn't necessary anyway. The same ANBU member stood at the door today as did every other day, and they had become quite accustomed to each other's presence although they rarely spoke and Sakura had never actually seen the man's face.

Once inside the room Sakura stood with her back planted firmly against the door. She glared up from under her eyelashes, looking to the center of the room where Kabuto lay immobile in his hospital bed surrounded by machines which no longer whirred rhythmically. As she had progressed through the healing of his bones and major injuries, their assistance became superfluous. Now she missed the sound – the room was resoundingly empty without the mechanical noise there to fill the space.

Taking a moment to fill her lungs with a resolute gasp of air, Sakura deftly pushed off of the door and moved towards the bed. She tried to keep her steps light, hoping upon hope that Kabuto would be sleeping.

"Welcome back, Sakura-san. I hope you enjoyed your lunch." No such luck. When Sakura stood by the bed she found Kabuto staring at her in his usual way, his body plastered with immobilization seals but his eyes still active and searching her face. She felt a sudden urge to cover those stupid ashen eyes with a seal as well, and maybe his mouth for good measure, but beat the desire back and instead produced a small hair-band from her pocket.

She secured her hair in a tight bun at the apex on her skull. "It was very… illuminating."

"Illuminating?" Kabuto echoed, shifting his gaze towards the ever-flickering light overhead. His voice changed from thoughtful to light-hearted on a dime, although Sakura thought she detected a saccharine note to his tone. "I do believe my body will be ready for real food soon," he nodded his head as much as he could towards the IV bag at the head of the hospital bed. "That will be a welcomed reprieve."

Sakura gave a noncommittal grunt and cracked her knuckles, straightening her arms out and stiffly placing her palms on Kabuto's exposed chest. His skin was warm and smooth, looking as one might imagine porcelain would, yet still covered with dim bruises and superficial cuts. Green chakra pulsed from her hands. She felt rather than saw an image of his body inside her mind, and with minor effort was able to localize her chakra to the point just below her fingertips. Beneath the muscle there she found bone, and in her mind's eye she urged her charka to delve deeper.

"You're not very talkative, Sakura-san." Why was he always trying to distract her? What did he have to gain by dragging her in to these pointless conversations?

Sakura closed her eyes, pink brows knitting together. "I need to focus," she offered, finding the fractured rib on his left side that she had been searching for and enveloping it with her spiritual force.

Undiscouraged, Kabuto spoke again. "I had hoped we could continue our conversation from before you retired to lunch. You were going to share with me your thoughts on happiness. I was looking forward to it."

Lips drawn into a thin line, Sakura's thoughts flashed back to earlier that day. They had been chatting idly about the purpose of human life while she mended the bones in his chest. The bones there were especially important to the jutsu, and as such Sakura had been giving them special attention. She wanted them to be perfect. It had nothing to do with the parting of his medical robes which revealed his well-defined, lithe muscles. Or his soft skin. Although there was a part of her, deeper than was even consciously accessible, that did not mind working on this part of his body. It was then, while she was lost in thought somewhere between the fourth and fifth true rib, that he had asked her what she thought the best way to achieve happiness would be.

That had launched into a long conversation about how most things used to achieve happiness were a mere means to an end, and quickly devolved into an argument about which means brought true happiness and which brought false. Kabuto maintained that power was the paramount of happiness, but Sakura vehemently disagreed.

Frustrated by their standstill, she had left for lunch. It was then that she had stopped by the hospital library and found a book on the topic, fully intending to brush up her knowledge and put Kabuto in his place upon her return.

But now… now she felt silly for getting caught up in such frivolity. She'd been letting it happen for days, and while it was easy to rationalize that their conversations were a mere matter of convenience, it was not untrue that she enjoyed the brief reprieve into intellectualism. After Sai's warning, though, Sakura was sure that Kabuto's efforts were in part some kind of malicious plot. What he hoped to gain by drawing her into these dialogues was beyond her. Did he think she would let him go? That he could so easily worm his way in to her good favor?

Fat chance.

Sakura knew the score, and she hadn't forgotten it. At times it was hard. Their arrangement was… intimate. Hours alone together, melding chakras (albeit unwillingly on her part), speaking on the nature of abstract concepts. If he had been any other man, this could very well be the beginning of something. But Sakura knew who he was and what he had done, and even if there were brief moments where she felt a flicker of amicability towards this man, it was a falsehood. Whatever his aims were, he wasn't going to achieve them.

She could fake it just as well as he could. And if what he wanted was to feign friendliness, she could play along. Whatever brought her closer to bringing Sasuke home.

Still… the question of how to proceed remained. Sakura prided herself on her shrewdness, but she had never considered herself to be particularly adept in the art of misdirection. It was an important skill for any shinobi to have, yet Sakura had always been far more comfortable expressing her feelings with shows of grandiose power and sharp-tongued words. Playing this game with Kabuto would require delicacy on her part – the only consolation being that the clock was ticking down on their time together. Once the jutsu was complete, that would be it. ANBU black ops would lob his traitorous ass right into the pits of Konoha's prison, and Ibiki would have him then.

She almost pitied him, except there was nothing Ibiki could do to match the pain and suffering Kabuto had caused so many others with his own hands. He could talk about philosophy all he wanted then – it would fall on deaf ears.

"Your mood seems to have changed, Sakura-san." Kabuto's words jarred her from her musings. "Did something happen?"

The bone beneath her fingers shifted in to place. Sakura encouraged a rush of osteoclasts to the area, perspiration forming in a light sheen on her forehead. "No…" she spoke lightly, thoughtful as to how she should approach the situation. "I just don't have anything more to say on that topic."

"You seemed quite passionate about it before. Don't tell me I've won you over with my argument?"

 _Hardly_. Sakura had to remind herself not to let him ruffle her feathers. It was sorely tempting… instead, the girl decided to throw him off course. "If I can't dispute your words, they _must_ be correct." She chanced a glance at his face, and found him regarding her with narrowed eyes. So the slight wasn't lost on him. Kabuto should know better than anybody that this was a logical fallacy – Sakura had disparaged him for using it several times.

He did not say anything for a long moment, and as such the girl was able to turn her attention back to the task at hand. The bone tissue was slowly but surely fusing back together. How many more were left after this? Naruto had truly intended to kill this man… the improvement of his physical state was so great that it was easy to forget not a week ago he had been little more than a bag of broken bones and ruptured organs held together by wet flaps of skin. Sakura felt a small surge of pride at her own therapeutic prowess. This had become something of her own medical masterpiece, and it was a shame that such creativity in healing was wasted on an arrogant, self-righteous person like Kabuto.

"What would you like to talk about, then?" he asked pointedly, sounding to her as if he were slightly annoyed.

It was best to be honest. If she appeared too eager, Kabuto would become suspicious. He was no fool, Sakura knew that. "I don't really want to talk to you at all," she answered, dropping her hands from his chest and smoothing her hair back. Several strands had freed themselves and taken to sticking to her sweat-slick skin. She needed to rest and let her chakra regenerate before she could give him a cursory scan. "But if you're so desperate for interaction, feel free to tell me what you know about Orochimaru."

Kabuto chuckled. "That's what you want to talk about? That's boring."

"Oh, I think it's just fascinating. Regale me."

Silver eyebrows raised slightly, the amusement fell from Kabuto's face as quickly as it had appeared. "Is this an interrogation?"

Sakura heaved a sigh, grabbing the back of a chair that she had brought to the room for just such occasions and pulling it over to herself. The metal legs grated against the concrete floor and her ears as she did so; Sakura swung the little seat over to the side of the bed and poured herself into it, arms crossed over her chest. "Not really. I don't think I'd believe anything you say, anyways."

Kabuto stared soundlessly at the ceiling again. Sakura regarded him with quiet eyes, wondering just what he would do if he could move his body right then. Would he attack her? Or make an escape attempt? Somehow it didn't feel like the seals were what was keeping him in that bed.

"Sakura-san, let's make a pact."

"A pact?" she echoed, keeping the curiosity out of her voice. A pact with the devil wasn't something she found particularly appealing.

Kabuto nodded – at least as much as he could. "Let's make a pact to never lie to each other."

What a joke! Whatever this man was playing at, he'd clearly lost his mind. "You have lied to me so many time, I couldn't even count them," Sakura balked, shifting in her chair to glower at him. Let him think he was getting a rise out of her. The more power he thought he had, the easier he would be to manipulate. "I seem to recall you once telling me Sasuke was dead. Not to mention just about every other thing you've ever said to me."

"Different times," Kabuto offered nonchalantly. There wasn't an ounce of repentance in his voice. "What I'm saying is, here and now, we should decide not to try to deceive one another."

Deception was Kabuto's strong suit. Sakura had no doubt that this too was some form of just that. "And what, exactly, do I have to gain from that?"

There was that slick smile again. Kabuto still wasn't looking at her. "It will save time, for one thing."

"Whose time, exactly?" Sakura wanted to inform him that he didn't have much time as it was, but resisted the temptation and opted instead for pestilence. She wanted desperately to get up and leave the room – to leave the last of his reparation to some lesser medic, and be done with it. Dancing to this tempo of careful calculation didn't sit well with Sakura. He infuriated her, and she couldn't show it. At least she couldn't show just how deep that infuriation ran.

"Yours and mine. I won't lie to you, Sakura-san. You have my word."

His word was worth nothing, and she informed him just as much. They sat in intense silence for a few minutes; Sakura seething inwardly about Kabuto's brazenness, he lost in some thought she couldn't hope to divulge. Finally she spoke up, figuring if he wanted to play puppet master she might as well try to make something useful out of it. "Fine then. Tell me about Orochimaru, tell me his plans. Tell me where Sasuke is, and how to bring him home." Lies, they would all be lies. But at least the she'd have something to write up in a report… maybe something to give Ibiki to start with.

Kabuto shifted his head to smile at her. "But you haven't agreed yet, Sakura-san. Honesty is a two-way street."

And just what kind of honesty was he wanting from her? What kind of information could Sakura have that Kabuto would ever deem valuable? There was no point to this. He knew just as well as she that there could never be trust between them. That rendered any information garnered useless. "No," she growled, standing from her chair and kicking it back softly with her foot. "I'm not going to dance for you."

Was that a look of disappointment on his face? "You're not? But I would so enjoy it if you did."

Sakura felt her cheeks tinge pink and held up her arm as if she could physically block his affronting words. "You… are such a bastard," she hissed through gritted teeth. She turned her face away and willed the flush in her face to subside.

"I suppose that would be the case when one is born to unwed parents."

Okay, that threw her off more than any comment about dancing could. Sakura forced her mouth to stay shut, knowing that gaping at him would compromise any image of stanchness she had fostered. Somehow Kabuto talking about his parents in a place as dark and dank as this was completely ludicrous to her. It seemed like such an off-handed comment, as if he hadn't put much thought in to it. Did Kabuto even have parents? It was easy to assume he'd merely spawned from a clump of flesh on Orochimaru's back.

He seemed to read her mind. "Don't tell me you've never thought about it."

"Stop trying to fuck with me." The uncharacteristic expletive slipped from her lips unnoticed; she approached his bed and found a look of reprehension on his face.

"Such language is unbecoming for a medic of your stature, Sakura-san."

 _Oh, fuck you_.

Kabuto saying that she had any stature at all was bullshit. He'd done nothing but treat her as a pest since the day they discovered just who he truly was (although that still remained a mystery in and of itself). Even before his nefarious nature had been revealed, Sakura always felt an air of superiority rolling off of him. Still… this wasn't the first time he had alluded to at least some form of respect for her medical skills. There was a part of her that enjoyed the idea of a man as powerful as she knew Kabuto to be thinking highly of her. It was a pipedream, sure. But being recognized by one's great enemy… it was a feeling she couldn't quite place. Something close to flattering, but not quite.

It made her think of Sasuke, in a way. Of the way he made her feel so many years ago. Inferior, yet wanting to prove that she was not.

But Kabuto wasn't Sasuke. He wasn't a friend lost in darkness – he was a fiend born of it.

Sakura went back to work, determined not to let him drag her in to something. For once Kabuto seemed to read the room, and did not bother her while. He watched her quietly the rest of the afternoon, those coal eyes never once leaving her face.

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XXX

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It was done. Sakura sat perched precariously at the foot of her bed, legs tucked under her body surrounded by a pile of paperwork. She was reading her final report on Kabuto's progress. Twelve broken bones, one collapsed lung, a ruptured kidney, and countless shredded muscles and burst arteries had taken her a mere five days to repair. The clock had struck midnight several hours ago at this point, yet Sakura could not find sleep. Instead she scribbled tirelessly into her report, making minor alterations here and there, noting which injuries had been addressed first and which might require more attention if stressed. She wanted to form a plan of attack for the jutsu; if all went well, it would take less than an hour to complete.

And after that, Kabuto would plague her no more. Tomorrow morning she would be done with him forever.

Sakura set her files down on the bed, dropping her head back and rolling her shoulders. Outside she could hear the summer cicadas chirping. A warm draft of air lofted through her large open window and brought her great relief from the heat. Sakura regarded her papers for a moment, chewing a nail on her left hand. She gathered the papers up into a neat pile before lumbering up from the bed to place them on her desk. Her feet buzzed from the sudden rush of blood, and Sakura had to be careful not to trip from the sudden rush of feeling.

She left the paperwork on her desk before throwing herself face-first onto the bed – soft sheets billowed up around her from the sudden weight of her body, before settling down in a wrinkled mess around her. Sakura gathered a handful of the cloth up and buried her face into it, breathing the fresh clean sent deeply. Her sheets were almost antiseptic, with a hint of flowery detergent underneath. The smell made her think of the hospital, and of the room far beneath it.

Sakura rolled on to her side and bunched the sheets up to her chest, staring thoughtlessly across her room. It was lonely. Shizune had arrived the day before and taken Tonton back into her care; without the little pig to keep her company, Sakura's mind was free to roam.

For not the first time, she considered getting a cat.

Sighing, Sakura pushed the sheets away from herself and sprawled out on her back. She glared up at the ceiling. The light there was warm and unfaltering – nothing like the one in Kabuto's room. The fan overhead swirled lazily, doing nothing to alleviate the heat. That was different, too. The hospital room where Kabuto stayed was freezing; its location deep underground coupled with the hospital's industrial-style air conditioning made sure of that.

Still…

Sakura wondered if Kabuto was awake as well. Probably not. She'd put him to sleep with her own chakra before leaving that night in an attempt to discourage him from trying to break the immobilization seals which now covered every inch of his exposed skin. Hopefully they would be enough to keep him subdued until the morning.

A sick twist of apprehension took her stomach at the thought of what would come then. Sakura was confident that the jutsu would be a success, but every operation left room for complications. How would she feel if the jutsu were to fail? What if Kabuto were to die in the process? Imagining his death at her own hands did not give her the feeling of supremacy that it should have. Instead it left her feeling… confused. It was true that she hated Kabuto. That many times she had wished for his death – had sought it with her own power. Things were different now that he was a prisoner, though. Now that she had felt every inch of his physiology in her mind.

Sakura told herself the feeling of apprehension came from a place of ethical integrity – that if he were to die as a result of untested medicine, the blood on her hands, no matter how dirty, would stain deep. Whether or not that was the whole story, even Sakura couldn't be sure.

She rolled on to her side and gathered a pillow under her head, letting her eyes slide shut. Sleep that night was fitful, the heat seeming to penetrate deeper than usual. Sakura slept in a cold sweat, soaking the sheets around her and her thin sleeping gown. She dreamt of a day long ago, of the first chunin exam. She ran through the Forest of Death with Sasuke and Naruto far ahead of her, calling out to them to wait. A great snake burst from the foliage and whisked Sasuke away, wrapping him up into the sky until he was nothing more than a small shadow silhouetted by the burning sun.

The great star stung her eyes. Sakura had to look away, the sounds of a fearful battle occurring overhead. Each time she tried to help, the sun's affronting rays burnt her eyes deeper. The time came when she was sure they would melt out of her head if she looked any longer. And then everything went dark.

Sakura found herself in the room deep below the hospital. She approached the bed at the center of it, the light above blinking furiously, its piercing light pulsing mind-numbingly. It took her a long time to reach the bed, and when she did she found the white sheets pulled up over the head of the bed and whoever was inside. She reached out hesitantly, pulling the sheets back with one furious movement. Long pink hair spilled out over the edges of the bed, falling all the way to the floor.

It was her, eight years ago. Dead.

* * *

XXX

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When Sakura arrived at the hospital the next morning, she found it nearly deserted. The lobby was devoid of waiting in-patients, the front desk unmanned. A hastily scribbled note reading 'Hospital closed until 12:30 for maintenance' was taped to the fine mahogany wood there, and Sakura fingered it curiously for a moment. Did this have something to do with Kabuto? She felt a line of tension forming down her back, fearing irrationally that he had somehow escaped and killed everyone in the hospital and… left a note?

Probably not.

Sakura made her way passed the desk, stopping by the locker room to change into a pair of light-green scrubs and pull her hair back. She stared at herself in the small mirror hanging on her locker door; wisps of pink hair stuck haphazardly from her head, her eyes looking sunken and tired. After the dream from the night before, she hadn't slept a wink. Not the best way to start the morning, but unavoidable at this point.

She took a moment to pull her files from the beige backpack she had brought with her, before securing it on a hook in the locker and slamming the metal contraption shut. With the papers tucked securely under her arm, Sakura set about making her way downstairs. She made a few stops along the way – sticking her head into the break room and cafeteria, checking for any signs of life.

Nothing. In all likelihood Tsunade had instructed that the hospital be evacuated in case something were to go wrong during the formation of the seal. Not an unwise choice. Sakura continued on her path.

This place was creepy with no one around. Although the hospital was a place where some spent their last days, it was usually bustling with life. The combination of brightly lit hallways and empty hospital rooms gave the building an ethereal feel, like something out of a horror movie. Sakura suppressed the chill working up her spine as she made her way down the winding corridors towards the maintenance shaft. It was the only way to access the lower levels. She rounded a corner and found herself in an area of the hospital which was unlike the rest – concrete walls and floors coupled with stuttering fluorescent lights overhead meant she had made it to the part of the building which was not accessible to patients and lower staff. Here the lack of people felt appropriate, and Sakura's tensions began to wane.

Down a flight of stairs and through two locked doors was the maintenance elevator. In front of it Sakura found Hinata Hyuuga waiting with her back against the wall and clasped hands.

"S-Sakura-san," the girl stuttered, pushing away from the wall and shyly meeting Sakura's gaze. Sakura slowed her pace, surprised, and came to a stop in front of the girl.

"Hinata. What are you doing here?" To have accessed this part of the hospital, Tsunade must have given Hinata special clearance. Sakura felt a sudden pang of annoyance, which she quickly buried in the place where she kept all of her petty feelings. Of course the Hyuuga girl deserved access – she was a fantastic healer and had worked hard. She wasn't on Sakura's level, but if the girl took a moment to be self-indulgent, few medics were. "I didn't think anyone would be around," she finished lamely.

Hinata blushed lightly, and not for the first time Sakura was surprised at what this girl deemed embarrassing. "Tsunade-sama requested that I meet you here." She tucked a strand of midnight hair behind her ear and smoothed her scrubs. Wait – scrubs? Hinata was wearing the same style and color of medical garb as Sakura was. Did that mean…? "I'm going to be assisting you today," the girl explained, answering the question before Sakura could even ask it.

"Oh. Of course." Sakura hadn't put much thought into who Tsunade would recruit to assist today. Hinata was actually a good choice; her bloodline trait – the Byakugan – would be especially useful during the jutsu. Not to mention the chakra control required to use such a trait.

The Hyuuga girl shifted uncomfortably under Sakura's gaze. "S-Shall we, then?" she asked, motioning to the maintenance shaft behind her. Sakura nodded resolutely, standing back as Hinata swiped her card across the small panel on the wall next to the elevator. A moment later the sound of grinding mechanical gears shifting uncomfortably met their ears. The machine groaned with pressure as the doors stuttered open, revealing a small wooden chamber which looked hardly capable of sustaining both girls' weights. Hinata stepped in first, turning to watch as Sakura followed. The cherry-haired medic deftly pressed a button selecting the lowest floor available, and the girls stood together in awkward silence as the contraption shuddered to life and began its rickety descent.

Several times the elevator quaked with such fervor that the girls bumped in to each other - Hinata apologizing profusely each time while Sakura merely cursed under her breath and grasped the surrounding rails with white knuckles. She amused herself with thoughts of plummeting to her death in an elevator shaft with none other than Hinata Hyuuga for company. They would be found in a crumpled mess of apologies and disdain.

Sakura chuckled to herself, avoiding Hinata's curious white eyes. Finally the elevator reached the bottom floor, and both girls spilled out from the shaft messily. Sakura shook her head and straightened her blouse, pleased to return to solid ground. On her left Hinata looked disoriented. Had she never been to this place before?

Here the floors were made of tightly packed dirt, and the walls consisted of thick concrete slabs stacked unevenly atop each other. There was a dank smell in the air – similar to river water, with a hint of mold. Hinata sneezed, squinting to see. The dim fluorescent lights overhead, ever blinking, were spaced roughly twenty feet apart and contributed to the area's clammy darkness. Sakura had grown used to this part of the building… but for someone like Hinata, who spent most of her time working above ground in the shiny, bright parts of the hospital, it was probably a bit overwhelming. Befitting of a place where a fearful prisoner was being held.

Sakura did her best to give the Hyuuga girl a reassuring smile. Whether or not it came off that way, she had no idea. She waved her hand, motioning for Hinata to follow. They walked in unison down the dimly lit corridor, turning here and there, until finally they entered the hallway leading to Kabuto's chamber. A large group of ANBU guards were gathered in front of the prisoner's door, standing in silent straight lines and appearing to her as if they were made of stone. Sakura slowed her pace when she saw them, relieved to note that the building wasn't completely devoid of life.

The girls approached slowly, all heads turning their way as they did so. "Haruno-san, Hyuuga-san. Welcome." One of the ANBU members stepped forward, and from his shape and gait Sakura identified him as the man who had been guarding Kabuto's room the entire week. She nodded hesitantly, looking around at each of the masked members. White-and-red animal faces stared back at her unemotionally. Sakura felt a sudden urge to grasp her sides.

"Tsunade-sama shall be joining us shortly," the man continued, stepping back into line. Sakura nodded, suddenly unsure what to do with herself while they waited.

Should she go in and prep the room? Wait here? The vein in her forehead pulsed, reminding her that she was functioning on very little sleep. The entire group stood in silence for a few minutes, until Sakura finally threw her hands up and stalked passed them. She glared up at the great red door which stood between her and Kabuto. "I'm going in. Hinata – are you coming?"

The girl behind her squeaked before stumbling up behind Sakura. "Y-Yes, I'm with you Sakura-san."

"Good," Sakura breathed, offering the group of ANBU a challenging glare before shouldering the door open. It gave way with surprising ease, and she had to catch herself to avoid stumbling and looking like a fool. Inside the room was pitch-black, as she had left it the night before. Sakura blindly groped the wall, finding a light-switch to the left with her deft fingers and flipping it on. Immediately a buzzing sound filled the room as the light above Kabuto's bed flickered to life.

There he was, laid out and appearing for all to see as a picture of peace and tranquility. Behind her, Sakura heard Hinata intake a sharp gasp of air. She remembered what it felt like seeing him in this place for the first time. A man like Kabuto didn't belong in a hospital bed – it was like a tiger in a cage. Or a snake.

No doubt Hinata was thinking the same thing. Sakura chanced a glance over her shoulder at the girl and found her standing with her fist clenched against her chest. She was shaking ever-so-slightly.

Sakura approached the bed and realized why. Many of the seals covering Kabuto's body had burned up, leaving singe marks on his bare pale skin. Some were left; Sakura had been sure to place more seals than he could break. She'd been worried about this very thing. She discarded his files at the end of the bed in the chart, afterwards allowing thin fingers to brush over the burns. It looked like he was sleeping. "Sakura-san," Hinata called from behind her, "are you sure you should be doing tha-?"

Just as Hinata's voice registered in her ears, and hand shot up and caught Sakura's wrist. She started, lurching back and realizing that Kabuto had focused on breaking only the seals on his left arm. Immediately her arm glowed green and she shoved his hand away forcefully, gasping without thought. "Sakura," he dropped the formality, his voice low and menacing. "You've brought company." He hadn't used his chakra scalpel. She wasn't injured. Why? Sakura calmed herself; the seals were only broken on his forearm. He hadn't escaped.

"The party's just starting, Kabuto."

As if on cue the door across the room burst open. Sakura whipped around in time to see Tsunade stepping inside looking clean and composed. Shizune stumbled after her, clearly less put together than the great Sannin.

"Sakura, Hinata." Tsunade briskly approached the girls. This was the first time since his initial operation that Sakura had been in the same room as Kabuto and Tsunade. It felt crowded, as if the woman's power could not be contained within these walls. And with her domineering presence came a sense of purpose. Sakura straightened, turning to Kabuto and pinning his forearm to the bed with a glowing fist. He glared at her face, but she did not acknowledge it. Quickly grabbing a few spare immobilization seals from her back pocket that she'd had the foresight to bring along, Sakura slapped them on his arm. In the background she could hear Tsunade instructing Hinata and Shizune into position around the room.

"Sakura…" Her name came out of Kabuto's lips in a whispered voice. Sakura looked around the room and found the other women busying themselves with preparations. Shizune was hunched over drawing thick white chalk lines in a large triangle around the bed, Hinata had gathered Sakura's notes and was hurriedly flipping through them, and Tsunade stood over them both with her arms crossed under her breast and a serious expression on her face. Sakura moved to the head of the bed, looking down at Kabuto's face.

He looked almost scared. "Are you going to kill me?"

Her heart lurched, soaring up into her throat. His hand on her wrist – had it been menacing? It hadn't felt that way. At first she thought he had meant to attack her, but now she wasn't so sure. Had he been seeking something else? Like comfort?

Sakura clenched her fist. "No… we aren't the bad guys here."

Ash and forest collided, and suddenly Sakura felt as if she couldn't bear to meet his eyes any longer. But she couldn't look away. It felt wrong. "Good and bad are all a matter of perspective," he reminded her. What is good for the spider is chaos for the fly. Kabuto never dealt in absolutes, she knew that already. How could he corroborate his own existence if he did? Kabuto was human, and he wanted to believe that at a base level he was good – even if everything he had done in his life pointed to the opposite.

Sakura realized with a shock that she had come to know him much better than she had ever wanted to. In their time together she had stopped seeing him as Orochimaru's right hand and started seeing him as a real person with his own complicated background and emotions. But that didn't matter. They stood on separate sides of a very thick line, and each had their own jobs to fulfill.

She may not know what his was, but she knew hers. "We're not going to kill you, but…"

In her hurry to reseal his arm, Sakura had neglected to immobilize his left hand. She felt it wrap around her own lightly. "…But it's not going to feel good," she finished, not moving away. Their eyes remained locked. Sakura had no choice but to continue down the path she was on. She felt something akin to regret. In a show of uncharacteristic compassion, she turned her palm up and squeezed his hand lightly. There was a flash in his eyes.

"Sakura!" Tsunade's voice penetrated her ears like a drill. Sakura jerked away, snapping around to look at the woman. Had she seen? What was that, even? His hand… it was warm. Very warm. She suddenly felt very ashamed of herself.

Tsunade did not appear to notice her student's predicament. "The lines of concentration are complete. Are you ready to begin?"

She was.

The three women dropped to their knees in a perfect triangle around Sakura. Three thick chalky lines imbued with chakra reached towards the center where the bed was located. Each woman – Hinata, Shizune, and Tsunade – pressed her palms to the floor and sent her spiritual energy pulsing into the streaks of chalk. They all led to the same place; Sakura felt the tingling sensation of their chakra winding up her legs and saturating her with immeasurable power. It was her responsibility now. This power was hers to do with what she saw fit. Sakura stretched her arms out far in front of her, no longer looking towards Kabuto's face.

Human or not, she had a job to do. A friend to save, and a menace to destroy. Kabuto was a stepping stone towards fulfilling this dream.

"Here we go!" she called, eyes taking on an ephemeral glow. Their power coursed through her veins.

In one sure movement, Sakura slammed her open palms into Kabuto's chest.

* * *

XXX

* * *

Neji Hyuuga waited outside the chamber with the rest of the ANBU black-ops group. Each had been hand-selected by the Godaime for the purpose of relocating Kabuto Yakushi to Konoha's Strict Correctional Facility on this day. None had been debriefed as to what exactly was going to occur inside that room – only that after the work of the Godaime was complete, their work would begin. To say he was surprised at the sight of Sakura Haruno and his young cousin Hinata approaching would have been an understatement. He was glad that the fox mask had covered the look of confusion on his face at their appearance.

What occurred once the Hokage and her servant Shizune joined the girls inside that mysterious room was even more concerning. All had been quiet for about ten minutes, and then the familiar feeling of chakra crackling in the air became apparent. And it grew and grew, until the point that Neji could feel his hair standing on end at the intense power. All at once the spiritual energy concentrated, as if taken under the control of a single point.

It remained constant after that time, spiking occasionally to extreme levels. Every time the chakra spiked, a loud scream emanated from the room. Neji remained stoic, body schooled into a stance of professionalism.

An hour passed, and the chakra never faltered. As quick as it came, the power faded. If he strained, the man could hear some sort of scuffle inside the room. The guards had been instructed not to enter the room until summoned, and so they waited. Still, an air of tension built among the group at the sound of harsh voices and shuffling bodies coming from the room. Neji gripped the sword on his back as the great red door shifted open slightly. Could it be Kabuto had escaped..?

The head of Tsunade's servant, Shizune, appeared. She grinned awkwardly. "We're ready for you," she sang, pushing the door open the rest of the way. Out stepped Sakura Haruno, hair looking disheveled, body covered in black burn marks. Had she been the one controlling that immense chakra? Such an idea seemed ludicrous, but where else would she have gotten those burns? The girl's face looked grim, her mouth set in a straight line and her eyes lowered to the ground. Behind her, Kabuto Yakushi emerged.

With their swords at the ready, the ANBU members stood back as the medic and her charge passed. Neji waited for the inevitable attack, but it never came. Instead the man looked withdrawn, staring at the back of Sakura's head with an expression Neji could not quite place. He was holding his right hand to his chest, and the Hyuuga genius saw that the forefinger there was broken and bent at an awkward angle.

Sakura stepped to the side, allowing the ANBU to take charge. They took Kabuto by the arms, ripping his broken hand away from his chest, but the man's eyes never left Sakura. She did not look up.

As the group of ANBU walked Kabuto down the corridor, Neji hung back. He stared at Sakura from behind his fox mask, finally addressing her informally. "Sakura," he said, catching the girl's attention. She looked up from the floor which she had seemed to be inspecting quite studiously. "What have you done?" the question hung in the air between them for a long moment.

"…I eliminated his threat."

She sounded so cold. "How?" he probed, glancing towards the hospital room. He probably shouldn't be asking this. She definitely shouldn't be answering.

Sakura leaned against the wall, staring down the hall at the fleeting group. The look in her eyes was unreadable.

"I carved a seal right into his bones."

* * *

XXX

* * *

 _Next time:_

 _"Yakushi Kabuto."_

 _His eyes flew to that corner, a pit of apprehension forming in his gut._

 _"Ibiki." He echoed, losing complete interest in whoever had been attempting to drown him awake. He knew that scarred face, had piles of notes on its tactics and history. Morino Ibiki was a person of special interest to Kabuto, who delighted himself in the unique interrogation and torture tactics employed by the man licked by flames. "Are you here just for me? I feel so honored."_

 _Ibiki unfolded himself from the shadows; the room had no more than a candle for light by the base of Kabuto's cot, and the flickering light shown over Ibiki's face and revealed the dark pivots of marred skin and dark cloth which covered the majority of his head. The light revealed a serious set to the man's jaw; Kabuto wished desperately to bait the man further, but found himself at a loss for words as the renowned interrogator stepped farther into the light and deeper into Kabuto's atmosphere._

 _There was nothing this man could do that Kabuto wasn't prepared for. It was a great misstep on the Land of Fire to assign someone so renowned to handle this case. Kabuto had practiced relentlessly for just such an occasion._

* * *

XXX

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Please review!


	6. Chapter 5

**Strange Terrain:**

Chapter 5

 **Author's Note:**

Oh my god, I'm so sorry it's been so long. I'm a scientist, I have responsibilities.

This is a bit of a transitional chapter. I want to set the mood for the next part of the story, while bringing the "seal" to an end. The next part of the story will be dedicated to Kabuto's interrogation and probably wont be for the faint of heart, but will avail us with many opportunities to see Sakura and Kabuto learning more about each other and being forced to interact in a new light.

I'll try to keep the inspiration strong, so please review! It keeps me going and brings light into my otherwise quite stressful life :)

Enjoy~

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XXX

* * *

 _Beads of sweat trickled down Shizune's face, catching her eyelashes and dripping down to the corners of her mouth. She'd been supplying a steady stream of chakra to the lines of concentration for over thirty minutes now, and the strain was starting to show. Across from her, on another point of the perfect triangle, Hinata was struggling as well. The Hyuuga girl let out a low gasp, glaring up with pearl eyes towards the center of the triangle. Standing there, enveloped in a white-hot glow, was Sakura with her hands planted firmly against Kabuto's chest._

 _He was awake. His eyes were wide – his face contorted into a fearful and pained expression. Hinata could not see Sakura's face; if she could, she would have seen a face twisted with a mix of determination and remorse._

 _Still, the chakra flowed on._

 _The intense spiritual energy in the room was almost oppressive. The only woman who did not seem to be buckling under it was Tsunade, who kept her palms confidently on the ground and her eyes closed in concentration. Sakura's own chakra reserves remained untouched, acting as a guide from the immense power which flowed through her._

" _Again!" The girl called, lowering her head._

 _On cue, the three women positioned around her let out a large burst of chakra simultaneously. It coursed down the lines of concentration, gathering up Sakura's legs and filling her chakra points to the point of bursting. The energy spilled from her hands and into Kabuto's chest, surging deep into his bones past the protective layers of fat and thickly chorded muscle. The two cried out in unison; Sakura's hands steamed from the intense heat while Kabuto's very bones were carved with complicated kanji and seals._

 _The jutsu was time consuming. Every kanji – every line of the seal – had to be etched one by one. It'd been thirty minutes, and Sakura had only just finished his rib cage. She urged the process on faster, seeing Kabuto's skeletal structure in her mind's eye. Already she could feel the power from Hinata's end weakening, and Shizune's would be soon to follow. Without their spiritual assistance, the jutsu would be left incomplete. Only a portion of Kabuto's chakra would be sealed. That was unacceptable._

 _And so the work went on. Kabuto's face remained tight with discomfort. Sakura tried to limit the number of times a great surge of chakra was released – those caused the worst pain and were only required for large expanses of bone. His sternum, humerus, shoulder blades, femur… spine. The rest could be done with a steady stream of energy, lessening the strain on her assistants and her own pain as well._

 _He shrieked each time she carved in to the biggest bones. It wasn't from the act of sealing itself – bones don't have nerves. But the surrounding area was damaged during the process, and for someone like Kabuto to cry out, the pain must have been extreme._

 _Sakura continued to work quickly, all the while avoiding his face. She etched his arms and legs, solar plexis, the ridges of his spine. She pulled his hand into her own and laced the cutting chakra all around his carpus' and metacarpus'. She laced her fingers through his, ignoring the immense warmth between them. His own skin would burn along with hers at this rate. Once the fingers were done Sakura dropped Kabuto's hand quicker than necessary. There was only one place left. His skull._

 _Approaching the head gingerly, Sakura made sure to keep herself within the small circle of chakra-imbued chalk around the bed. She looked hesitantly at his face, and found him staring back at her with tightly knitted silver eyebrows and a grimace on his lips. Kabuto had not said anything during the entire procedure – unless you counted screaming – but at this moment his eyes spoke volumes. Sakura's heart lurched as she reached out and gripped the sides of his skull._

" _We're almost done," she whispered, willing the powerful spirit energy through his skin. As the chakra began to cut into the bones of his face, she thought she heard him speak._

" _We're not even close."_

 _It must have been her imagination. One last burst of energy, and the seal was complete._

 _Sakura stumbled away immediately, feeling the power drain from her. In the background she heard the sound of a body slumping over. A quick check over her shoulder revealed Hinata Hyuuga face-down on the floor, breathing heavily, her milky eyes closed. She must be completely drained. Sakura looked to Shizune and Tsunade, and found the former barely managing to stand while the latter remained sitting on the floor with a look of deep concentration on her face. Turning back to Kabuto, Sakura found that he also had his eyes closed. His face remained tense, but seemed to have relaxed from before._

 _She stepped back towards the bed, reaching out a shaky hand. Even just moving was almost too much to bear. She had reached her own limit. Still, she grabbed weakly at his body, effortlessly stripping away the immobilization seals which had been plastered over his skin. When they were all removed his eyes opened, coal sliding over her body and making her feel dirty. Sakura wanted to hug herself, but the effort was too great._

" _You idiot," Kabuto rasped, breathing labored. "All that work… for nothing."_

 _Sakura glared at him with confusion. "What?" she hissed, realizing her own voice sounded very weak._

" _You can't… seal all of my chakra," he tried to sit up, shaking and groaning out. "You fucking idiot. I'll…"_

 _Die._

 _That's right, of course. Chakra is an important part of all living cells. It supplies them with the energy needed to function. How could she call herself a world-renowned medic and not have thought about that? Sakura was breathing heavily, one hand clasping the material of her scrubs at her breast. Oh well, she thought. Easy fix._

 _In one sure movement she reached out and snatched Kabuto's hand, pulling it by the fingers until it was taut with the stress. She didn't have enough chakra to break a bone clean, and it was best that the break wasn't clean anyways. His eyes shot up to her face, and widened at the wild look of determination he found there. "What are you-" Sakura cried out, rearing her elbow up high into the air before bringing it down forcefully on his outstretched finger. She felt it break right at the joint. Kabuto grunted, but she could hear the pain behind it._

 _One broken finger wouldn't collapse the integrity of the seal. Not even an entire hand would. She'd placed the most important focal-points of the seal in spots that could not be broken without ensuring death - his spine, skull, and ribcage. But this finger would allow enough chakra to get through to allow his body to keep functioning._

" _Don't try to fix it," she warned, feeling strained._

 _Kabuto sat up quickly, cradling his hand against his chest. With some effort he slung his legs over the side of the bed. How long had it been since he last stood? His body ached with the effort. It had been over a week… and now… now he had no power. Kabuto held his good hand up towards Sakura, willing the chakra-scalpel to appear._

 _Nothing. A rush of anger filled him. He slid off of the bed and stood on shaky feet, taking a lumbering step towards the pink-haired girl. "You bitch," he snarled. Her emerald eyes widened at him as she took a fearful step back. He felt a pit forming in his stomach – he wanted to hurt her. He wanted to hurt her so badly. "What have you done!?" It wasn't as quick as it used to be, but his fist still shot out at her and caught her by surprise. Sakura started, hand flying up to block the strike just in time. She staggered back, but he kept coming._

 _It was a grappling match between weaklings. Neither was strong enough to truly fight, but they kept trying. Something burst between the two of them – something that had been building for days. Sakura clawed at him angrily as he tried to pummel her, angry shouts exchanged between them._

" _I saved your life!" Sakura grabbed a fist aimed towards her face and twisted it. Kabuto shoved her with his shoulder, the sharp bone knocking the breath out of her._

" _You've fucked me!" he retorted. They tripped backwards together, knocking into the hospital bed. Sakura fell on to it, and Kabuto made to jump on top of her before a wisp of green collided with his side. His weight was instantly off of her. Sakura looked up, shocked, and found the man pinned against the wall by none other than the Godaime herself. Of course Tsunade still had chakra to spare._

 _Her glowing fingers tightened around his neck. "You should be more grateful."_

 _His pestilent demeanor melted away and was quickly replaced with a saccharine façade. "Ah – Godaime-sama. You must forgive my lack of manners." A sick smile twisted his lips as he gripped her hand._

 _Tsunade dropped him. "Must I?" She watched him menacingly. "Shizune!" The Godaime turned her attention away from Kabuto much the way one ignores a crying child who no longer deserves attention. "Get the ANBU, tell them we're ready."_

 _The fight was gone from Kabuto, and Sakura stood from the bed. It was still warm from his body._

* * *

XXX

* * *

The Konoha Strict Correctional Facility was located on the far edge of the village, well away from any prying eyes. Kabuto was all but dragged through the labyrinthine tunnels which twisted and turned deep below the streets of the city, the ANBU detail pushing him to move much faster than his beaten body was prepared to. Still covered with the ghosts of cuts and bruises from his run-in with Naruto and his muscles aching from Sakura's damned seal, Kabuto longed to see the sun. It had been so long since he felt that glorious warmth on his skin. The tightly packed dirt walls around him, reddish in color and indicative of clay, were claustrophobic. They leered in towards him from all sides and reminded him much of what it was like to work deep underground in Orochimaru's labs.

There was barely room for him to move through those tunnels with two ANBU on either of his sides. Their angry hands gripped him roughly by the arms, pulling his tired feet down the dry corridors with little concern for his own comfort. Four more guards walked ahead and behind him, the sound of their steps dampened by the earth underfoot.

Ten total.

What should he do? As they walked along, his chances of escaping became a farther and farther reality. Dispatching these shinobi would be short-order if he had access to his chakra, but without it... a fight against ten ANBU block-ops functioning at full capacity was suicide. He felt the hold on his arm tighten, as if his thoughts were projected for all to hear.

Kabuto wasn't sure if he even intended to escape right now. Particles of dust danced in the air about his face, uncaring of his predicament. They stung his nose and larynx, and he imagined a layer of dirt coating the inside of his lungs. A hint of a cough formed at the back of his throat at the image, but Kabuto suppressed it vigorously. Show no weakness. He willed his breathing to remain steady, although the constant exertion of moving after having been kept immobile for so long had already elicited a thick sheen of sweat from his skin. His clothing stuck awkwardly to his body.

When he had been in the hospital he wore little more than a paper medical robe which covered only part of his body and required daily changes to prevent it from becoming caked with blood and sweat. Now he had been given a simple black tunic and off-white pants. The outfit was loose, hanging from his body in a way which would become a tactical disadvantage should the opportunity for combat arise. Kabuto had been stripped naked of his medical garb by the ANBU after the group made it out of the hospital. In a secure location, the position of which he had noted for future intelligence purposes, he had been presented with the black and white materials. The old patient's uniform had become greasy and smelled of ointments and blood, and Kabuto was pleased to be replacing it. He felt no shame at his nakedness, even when the guards raked their eyes over his body in search of any hidden weapons or other materials.

Although his clothing was fresh, Kabuto was sorely aware of his own need for a shower. Being a medic instilled a certain predilection for cleanliness – Sakura had been kind enough to sponge away the blood and muck from his original injuries, but she was no saint. No matter how enjoyable receiving a bath from the lovely young woman was, he resented that she had been stringy with his hygiene. She took the time to clean away only the most superficial of maladies, probably because the intimacy of the act made her uncomfortable. That was no excuse, though.

He could smell himself. Unacceptable.

Kabuto had endured many kinds of mistreatment. He had been kept immobile, his power was taken away. But these were indignities he could sustain - these were things which he would be sure to overcome in short time. The least that could be done would be to give him access to soap and water for his trouble. How much longer would he have to wait?

The idea that it could be very long indeed turned his stomach. That would be the truest indignity.

His thoughts were suddenly halted by the sound of a clamor coming from the group ahead. Their footsteps came to a stop, and when Kabuto looked up he found that they now stood in front of a set of massive metal doors secured with a thick bar of black steel. Five paper seals stuck to the bar, and if Kabuto squinted he could see that three were explosive seals while the remaining two were designed to keep the blockade from being moved by curious hands. A relatively lax safety measure. Even from the outside, these seals could be broken by a skilled enough intruder.

From what Kabuto could tell, all of the tunnels beneath the Leaf village were interconnected. They had made their way from beneath the hospital to the secure room, and all the way from the secure room to this door. Never once had they gone above ground. At some points he could feel an incline to his steps, at other times they were descending. It was hard to tell where exactly they were now – all of the twists and turns made sure of that.

Still... knowledge of this area could prove invaluable. A few locked doors and trap seals appeared to be all that protected the tender underbelly of the Leaf village. In all the time they had been walking he had not seen a single sentinel. No cameras – no nothing. It was almost too good to be true.

His mental files on Konoha grew even in captivity.

While Kabuto was busy considering the many sinister uses his current surroundings could provide, the four ANBU heading the group had approached the set of opaque gray doors and began whispering amongst themselves. Kabuto did not bother trying to hear. In all likelihood these seals required a perfectly synchronized burst of a chakra to be opened; no doubt the chakras would need to be applied in a certain sequence to be effective as well. Eavesdropping was of no use to him here, because the sequence of chakra would change once the old seals were removed and new ones secured in their place.

Just as he suspected, after a moment the fifth man – the one who had been guiding his left arm more rigorously than necessary – stepped forward and joined the other four ANBU. So this was the team leader. He would be the one who knew the sequence of the chakras required to remove the seals without activating them. He would be the one the Hokage entrusted with this most secretive information.

Apparently insecure about the absence of his companion, the man securing Kabuto's right side seemed to tense. He felt the fingers in his bicep dig in, and hissed lowly at the pain. The muscles there were quite tender, and it was only good sense that kept him from jerking his arm away. With his back pointedly towards Kabuto, the team leader appeared to express a set of nonverbal gestures which indicated exactly how the seals were to be expunged. The tunnel was not wide enough for the five men to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in order to break the seals in unison; alternatively, the three men at the front placed flat palms against the papers and counted down in quick unison.

A quick flare of chakra, and the seals floated harmlessly to the ground. So much work just to remove a piece of paper.

Lifting the steel bar which barricaded the door appeared to be a much easier feat. Working together the three ANBU hoisted the slate up from its mounts, the scrapping sound of metal against metal assaulting the groups' ears as it shuddered out of place and was left balanced precariously against the red wall. Kabuto realized that the weight of the bar must have been great, for its head left a small indention in the clay.

And then, for the first time in a long time, Kabuto felt the sun on his skin. The doors creaked open heavily, revealing at first only a thin strip of light which burnt down the corridor and fell directly into Kabuto's eyes. The momentum of the gateway caught after a moment, and the exit swung open swiftly to bathe the entire shaft in brilliant white sunlight. It was too much for his eyes to bear. Kabuto was quick to look away from the glare, staring instead at the tightly packed dirt beneath his feet. Sunspots blinded his vision.

Before he knew what was happening the menacing grip returned to his left arm and Kabuto was being pulled haphazardly out into the dazzling sun. A rock caught the toe of his simple boots; he stumbled but did not fall, the hands on his arms keeping him upright.

He was all but dragged through the door, the heat from the sun beating down on his porcelain skin. Kabuto's ears were ringing, and for a ludicrous moment he worried that he would burn up and disappear. As soon as his mind processed this thought the intensity of the moment ended – Kabuto found himself surrounded quite comically by the ANBU guards, the ones at his sides staring at him from behind their animal masks. Had he been yelling? He couldn't be sure.

The man straightened, shaking what hair wasn't plastered to his cheeks with sweat away from his face. A quick glance around revealed that they had come to a place quite different from the lush landscape of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. The land here was scarred - it lacked even the memory of towering trees and expansive foliage. All he could see around him was lifeless tightly packed gray dirt, devoid of sustenance and riddled with deep cuts and gashes of charred ground. Behind him the heavy doors slammed shut, disappearing into the monotony of the area. Kabuto subtly counted the guards around him and found that they had lost a member of the group; no doubt one was forced to stay behind and reseal the entrance to the tunnels.

Nine left. That did little to improve his odds.

Without warning they were on the move again. The hands on his arms tugged him forward, but this time Kabuto was ready and shuffled along in step with his captors. His information on the Konoha Strict Correctional Facility was limited at best; during the time that Kabuto had lived in the village and worked as an assassin he had never come into contact with the facility, and after Orochimaru had taken him under his wing, the opportunity to gather information about the prison and its location had never presented itself.

He'd had to sustain himself with bits and pieces of intelligence gathered from other shinobi, and their knowledge of the area was unreliable. He knew that they were roughly ten miles north of the village, and that the prison itself was located at the center of a lake of fire. There were no volcanoes surrounding Konoha, but as the group traveled farther the deep gashes in the ground began to glow. Softly at first, and then deeper red the more land they traversed. Before long bubbles of magma spouted from the dead earth, their intense heat licking at the heels of the group as it moved along. Careful steps were soon required. The ANBU guided him with practiced movements, and Kabuto followed along like an obedient prisoner.

His energy reserves were still depleted, and the temperature was quickly rising. Each step became more and more of an effort, and the sweat on his skin went from a slick sheen to an unrestrained downpour. By the time they reached a set of massive stone gates Kabuto could barely lift his legs; his breath came out of uneven puffs, the loose tunic clinging awkwardly to his chest.

"Signal the tower!" called the ANBU to his left.

Without warning a smoke shot plumed into the air, a trail of black billowing out underneath it. It had been released from the hand of the guard leading the group, who still held a smoldering pistol in his hand.

A moment trickled by, and then the giant gates – constructed of thick slabs of darkly colored stone – began to shudder. They dropped slowly, ancient chains groaning from disuse. A swell of dirt puffed into the air when the gate itself touched the charred land. Waves of heat radiated out from the now revealed opening. Kabtuo attempted to shield himself from the sudden onslaught, but his arms were still quite secure in the grip of his captors.

Once the dust settled, Kabtuo found a long shoddy stone bridge extending far out in front of him over a lake of lava. He gawked at it a moment, beside himself. He'd seen many things in his time as Orochimaru's assistant – snowy landscapes, cities in the sky – but for some reason this deep red molten earth sliding lazily in a vast lake gave him pause. If this had been a different situation, if he wasn't about to be pulled down this bridge and thrown in a cell to face an uncertain future, it would have been quite beautiful. Hell, it was still beautiful. The outer-most layer of the lake, the lava which touched the air, was colored dark brown and shifted in large expanses like tectonic plates.

Kabuto was transfixed, but his company was not. Once again a tug on his arm brought him back to reality, and soon enough he was shuffling down that bridge. The heat was unbearable, and it felt like they walked a mile before they reached the small island at the center of the lake. Kabuto wanted to collapse, but would not allow such an indignity. Still, his vision was fading in and out. By the time they were inside the facility, most of his weight was being supported by the men on either of his sides.

 _Stay awake_ , Kabuto chided himself, trying desperately to keep his own footing. His body had been through so much in the last week, and quite suddenly, his knees buckled.

Kabuto's last conscious memory was of a familiar face cresting over the head of a set of long stairs.

XXX

Drowning. Kabuto was drowning.

He was in the forest – had been wandering for hours in the deep lush green, cherry blossoms floating through the air, suffocating him. He had been looking for something, possibly a source of water to quench his thirst and absolve him of the outstanding heat which hung in the air and wrapped his body in robes of fire, when the sensation of no air suddenly assaulted him.

Where was the air? Where was absolution?

Kabuto shuddered awake, sputtering terribly as a cascade of water poured over his face for the umpteenth time. He shot up, making to wipe his face and finding that for this first time in what felt like a long time his arms were actually free. The water was pushed out of his eyes and nose; Kabuto glared outward and found himself stretched crudely on a short bunk in a cramped cell with little more than a small toilet in the corner and no windows in sight. So much for a chance at sunlight.

Above him an unfamiliar man stood with an empty bucket in his hands, still outstretched as if in the motion of throwing water. Kabuto's first instinct was to swat at him, but he trained it back and fell against the stone wall behind his cot. A voice from the corner of the cell chimed.

"Yakushi Kabuto."

His eyes flew to that corner, a pit of apprehension forming in his gut.

"Ibiki." He echoed, losing complete interest in whoever had been attempting to drown him awake. He knew that scarred face, had piles of notes on its tactics and history. Morino Ibiki was a person of special interest to Kabuto, who delighted himself in the unique interrogation and torture tactics employed by the man licked by flames. "Are you here just for me? I feel so honored."

Ibiki unfolded himself from the shadows; the room had no more than a candle for light by the base of Kabuto's cot, and the flickering light shown over Ibiki's face and revealed the dark pivots of marred skin and dark cloth which covered the majority of his head. The light revealed a serious set to the man's jaw; Kabuto wished desperately to bait the man further, but found himself at a loss for words as the renowned interrogator stepped farther into the light and deeper into Kabuto's atmosphere.

There was nothing this man could do that Kabuto wasn't prepared for. It was a great misstep on the Land of Fire to assign someone so renowned to handle this case. Kabuto had practiced relentlessly for just such an occasion.

"Are you?" Ibiki questioned, his voice deep and grating.

He did not seem rushed, stepping into the light as if the darkness had been the most natural place in the world for him to be.

"Good. I've been looking forward to meeting you as well, Yakushi."

Something in the way he spoke gave away an air of confidence Kabuto had not been expecting.

Ibiki continued. "I'm sure you have much intelligence on me, Yakushi. It is unlikely that a student as astute as yourself would neglect to gather as much information as possible on someone of my..." he paused, a sick grin lighting his scarred features, "...specialties."

Kabuto wanted to grin, too. He had met Ibiki several times before during his life as a shinobi of the Leaf, but this was the first time he felt truly recognized. Before his focus had always been on remaining unnoticed; now he was the center of attention. One would imagine this would be distressing for a person as akin to the shadows as Kabuto was, but in fact the opposite was true. Having spent so much time pretending to be worthless, it was indeed flattering to be assigned such a prestigious interrogator. It was nice to know his knowledge was not being taken lightly, and Kabuto could be sure that whatever Ibiki brought to him, it would be nothing he had ever seen before.

He was exited, and nervous. Could the training he had endured stand up to the mental games to come?

The two regarded each other for a long time. Seconds limped by like hours; somewhere in that time the man who had so rudely awoken Kabuto disappeared behind the creaking gate that was one of many obstacles between Kabuto and freedom. Iron? If he still had his chakra such unimpressive preemptive measures would be insulting. Even without it, he could probably escape…

As if on cue the broken finger on his right hand throbbed. He brought it close to his chest, glaring down at the swollen appendage. Sakura was a clever girl indeed. Breaking this finger had provided him with enough life-giving chakra to stay standing, but he was sure even is he broke all of his fingers he wouldn't be able to perform even the most elementary of jutsu.

What about his arms and legs?

Lost in thought about what he could stand to lose, and whether the possible ramifications Sakura had set in place unknown to him would be worth it, Kabuto hardly noticed Ibiki lumber across the cell and retrieve the bucket of water which had been used to so rudely awaken his prisoner.

"You must be thirsty," the man said, apparently oblivious to Kabuto's inner plight. It was doubtful that he hadn't been attempting to dissect every thought behind Kabuto's placid face, but he sure acted the part.

It was true though. Kabuto wet his lips unconsciously, watching as Ibiki reached into the bucket and produced a shoddy metal cup brimming with sweet liquid. He handed it over at a glacial pace, causing a stream of frustration to build in Kabuto's chest. Somehow the movement felt as though he were being mocked; he snatched the cup anyways and brought it greedily to his lips.

"Wouldn't you do better to keep me dehydrated?" he asked, after taking a gratuitously long gulp from the cup. Its rim tasted like blood, rusty and unclean. He took another long drag. "Or do you mean to set yourself up in the role of savior? Don't tell me you're going to be the good guy, Ibiki. That would be disappointing."

Ibiki had pulled a small wooden chair from the same corner where he had first been standing. Now he sat in it casually, regarding Kabuto with bored eyes. "Disappointing?" he echoed; Kabuto finished what was left of the water and set his cup to the side. He didn't say anything – speaking was what they wanted. It would be in his best interest not to give anything away. Ibiki grinned at the lack of a response. "You want me to be rough with you?"

Kabuto leaned his head back against the prison wall and schooled his features into an unreadable mask. Not much of a task.

"Would you prefer if I were not the one here?" the interrogator quipped, threading his arm around his back and producing a manila folder. He opened it lazily, flipping through the loose pages. Kabuto did his best not to watch, not to let the curiosity show in his eyes. It didn't matter what that folder said – it probably didn't say anything at all. A cheap tactic, the purpose of which was only to elicit a reaction. Kabuto wouldn't dignify it.

Ibiki sighed, stopping on a particular page and appearing to read the words written there with rapt interest. "Haruno Sakura-san is quite the fastidious note-taker," he murmured, running his calloused fingers down the page. "These are all of the reports she has written about you, dating back almost ten years." Ibiki smiled, flipping another page. "Quite extensive stuff."

He looked up with calculating eyes. "My favorites, though, are the most recent."

Kabuto swallowed, wondering distantly what the pink-haired medic had to say about him. If he knew anything about Sakura Haruno, those reports were sterile, written in quick hand about only the most basic of interaction. Still… her emotional side. She couldn't hide it behind professionalism.

Suddenly Kabuto felt very exposed.

"Would you like to know what the last report says?" Ibiki asked quite suddenly, looking up in search of Kabuto's gaze.

The man looked away, still refusing to speak.

Ibiki began reciting from the paper. "As the subject's condition improves, he becomes more vocal. During our sessions he often speaks during moments of lucidity, but that lucidity is fleeting. He seems to remain unaware of his condition or location. He has not said anything of particular interest, only making unintelligible sounds or uttering my name. I have elected to place more seals on his person – arms and legs, specifically. As he regains consciousness, motor-control seems to be returning. This will keep the subject from furthering the state of his wounds, as well as keeping him from interacting with personnel, which has become somewhat of a frequent problem…"

Ibiki trailed off, looking up from the notes with flattened lips. "She goes on to describe your medical progress in some detail, but that isn't what interests me." Ibiki flipped to another page, "No… What interests me is the detached nature of her reports, Yakushi-san."

Kabuto finally turned his head to look at the man in front of him, daring him with his eyes.

"In her first reports, Sakura-san is quite passionate when writing about you. The anger behind her words is readily apparent, and she always refers to you by name. One could chalk this up to flourishing professionalism, but I'm not quite convinced." Ibiki retrieved another page, reciting from it. "The patient is fully conscious and quite vocal. He spends much time attempting to interact with personnel, and seems to be recovering at an impressive rate."

Ibiki set the folder down. "She doesn't use her own name, and she doesn't use yours. Sakura was instructed to report on all interactions which occurred between the two of you, yet she only ever refers to you as 'increasingly vocal'. What does that mean, Kabuto-san? What were you so vocal about?"

Before he could stop himself, Kabuto took the bait. "It's not unusual for patients to interact with their primary care-takers."

Ibiki regarded him with calculating eyes. "I'm curious as to what those interactions entailed." A smile writhed onto his lips, "Since we've started speaking about Sakura-san, you've been stroking that broken finger of yours. I'm guessing she gave that to you. And you look distressed, although I admire your attempts to hide it. There are some things even you can't hide, Yakushi."

Silence, thick and potent. Kabuto kept his eyes strictly trained on Ibiki's. "You haven't looked at these papers once," Ibiki continued, holding the folder up between them and giving it a wave. "For someone as intelligence oriented as you, that's strange. You should be dying to know what we've gathered from you, and there is nothing to gain by hiding that. Unless…" the papers found their way back to Ibiki's lap, "there is something more important. You're trying to protect yourself with disinterest, but the less you speak, the more you give away."

Kabuto finally let his eyes slide to the folder, sighing inwardly. He did want to read them, for whatever reason.

"The more certain I become that I need to speak to Miss Haruno Sakura-san."


	7. Chapter 6

**Strange Terrain:**

Chapter 6.

 **Author's Note:**

Look! Another chapter! This is a pretty emotional one.

* * *

XXX

* * *

Sakura shoveled a heaping glob of noodles into her mouth, her lips tight with a grin as she chewed. A pale delicate hand reached to cover her lips, her eyes crinkled at the corners with mirth. Across from her Naruto was waving his hands about wildly, regaling the entire table with a story of the first time the new Team 7 had visited a bath house together. On her left sat Sai, looking nonplussed as ever, his noodles untouched.

Naruto was laughing heartily, his story coming to an end. "Back then," he mused, twirling chopsticks in his second empty bowl, "I really despised you." Sakura snorted, quickly swallowing her noodles before they threatened to do what many great shinobi had failed to and kill her. At her side Sai let a stiff grin twist his lips.

"The feeling was mutual," he offered.

Many of the original genin had gathered at Ichiraku that night, a sort-of impromptu evening brought on by a mutual need to destress. Sakura sat at the middle of a large wooden table; to her right, Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji. Hinata set next to Naruto, a soft grin on her features and her milky eyes glued to the table uncomfortably. Kiba sat next to her, loudly informing the table that Naruto was not the only one who had originally mistrusted the artist's nature. Choji nodded understandingly.

"I always thought Sai seemed nice," Hinata mused quietly, her own ramen half-eaten. She took a delicate bite, smiling when Naruto clapped her on the back gently.

Sai regarded the girl. "Thank you, Hyuuga-san. You've always been quite an astute judge of character."

"Yeah she is!" Naruto chirped, his arm finding its way around the girl's middle. She looked up at him coyly, her cheeks coloring noticeably. "Hinata was the first person to ever really be nice to me, too."

Sakura watched the exchange, her lip finding its way between her teeth. Obviously Sai hadn't been lying. It looked so easy, the way they interacted. She wondered if it would ever be like that between her and… someone. Who? She couldn't think of anyone that she felt that way towards. No one she wanted to blush around – to make her smile and look at the ground. The closest had been Sasuke, but even that was nothing but a memory. Since then she only had her work, and her relationships were either amicable or work-related.

"Get a room, you two!" Ino snarled, sipping from a small cup of cool sake. Her birthday had only been a few weeks ago, but this was the first time she and Sakura had been out since. The blonde snuck her arm over Sakura's shoulders, sensing the other girl's reverie. "Want some?" she asked, holding the delicate cup in front of Sakura's face.

Sakura wrinkled her nose in distaste. "You know I can't," she rolled her eyes, shrugging the arm over her shoulders off and looking away from Naruto and Hinata.

"Oh whatever," Ino drawled, "I bet you and Tsunade hit the sauce all the time."

"That's Tsunade- _sama_ ," came a gruff voice from behind.

The entire group turned in one sure movement to look at who had suddenly entered. The voice came directly from behind Sakura, and she had to crane her neck upwards to see. Standing at her back was Neji Hyuuga, an overzealous Lee at his side and waving his hands non-confrontationally. "Hey guys!" the bushy-browed ninja squeaked, round eyes darting around the faces at the table. "Room for two more?"

"Bushy brows!" Naruto stood from the table in one swift movement, running around the group and crushing the dark-haired boy in a one-armed hug. "I thought you weren't coming!"

Lee grinned under the blonde's weight. "Neji-san and I were training," he offered as explanation.

"Lee," Sakura called, turning in her seat to face the newcomers. "I'm glad to see you're feeling better. I hope you aren't over-working that ankle of yours." Her inner-medic slipped out in a chiding tone, one pink brow lofting higher than the other.

"Of course, Sakura-san." Lee untangled himself from Naruto and made to squat in front of Sakura. "Today I only practiced five-hundred kicks!"

A mix of a laugh and a scoff escaped her chest. "That's… not exactly taking it easy…"

"Come on, come on," Naruto pulled Lee away from Sakura and guided him around the edge of the table. "Take a seat. Three more bowls of ramen!" he called to the cook behind the counter.

"You're eating _more_?" Ino asked incredulously, although at this point no one in group could really be surprised.

"I don't know where he puts it," Shikamaru quipped.

Lee sat on the other side of Naruto, leaving Neji standing awkwardly behind the group. Sakura was still turned to face him, and she regarded the ANBU squad-leader with some discomfort. Now there were two people at the table who had been present during the operation, and worse, both Hyuugas. One unbearably coy, the other unbearably arrogant. As if reading her thoughts, Neji turned his stoic face down to regard her. "Haruno-san," he offered, milky orbs sliding over her own forest eyes. "It is good to see you again."

"You too…" Sakura breathed.

Suddenly Sai stood from next to her, gathering his uneaten bowl of noodles and moving to set them on the counter. "I'll be taking my leave. Please, Hyuuga-san. Take my seat." Sai fished around in his tight pockets and produced a few crumpled bills, he left them on the counter and turned to face the group. "Thanks for the invite," he offered, before disappearing out the door and leaving the seat next to Sakura unbearably empty.

Neji looked at it, and without question lowered himself onto the bench with practiced dignity. Sakura had always appreciated the way this man carried himself, even if his demeanor had long grated on her nerves. Still, like the rest of the group, he had changed over the years. Become less violent towards Hinata, more accepting of Lee. He'd fought by her side many times to bring Sasuke home, and for that she was grateful. Neji was a comrade, just like any other. Still, she felt ill-at-ease in his company.

Especially now, when his presence reminded her of another arrogant genius whom she had been trying quite fervently not to think about. _Kabuto_ …

Around them the entire group chattered and laughed, some talking amongst themselves, some yelling across the table. The ramen bowls came, and Neji waved his away noncommittally. "More for me!" sang Naruto, grabbing the bowl greedily and sliding it next to his own. Neji quietly ordered a round of hot sake, and sipped at it gingerly when it arrived. He had ordered two cups, and he filled one with a gentle movement before subtly slipping it next to Sakura's empty bowl.

She regarded the drink with some surprise, thin lines of steam coming from the cup. Unsure why, she gripped the warm ceramic and held it to her lips, taking the liquid in one sure movement before setting the cup back to the table. The rice wine wasn't flavored, and left quite an unpleasant taste in her mouth. It reminded her of raw soy, and she quickly followed it with some water.

"Ohh," Ino piqued up, "You'll drink when _he_ offers it to you."

Sakura felt her face redden, not with drink but with embarrassment. Suddenly everyone was looking at her, and she didn't know what to say. "Ah," Neji uttered, saving her from the unwanted attention. "That's right. You are only twenty, Haruno-san."

He sipped his sake, before refilling her cup. "Quite illicit."

Only the slightest upturn of his lips indicated that Neji Hyuuga had made a joke, and for a moment Sakura did not know how to respond.

She smiled beside herself. Taking the drink again, Sakura glared into Ino's eyes as she brought the ceramic to her lips and stuck out her tongue somewhat childishly. The blonde giggled, raising her own cup in cheers and gleefully brushing her hair over her shoulder. Laughter erupted at the table, and everyone continued with their meal and drinks jubilantly. It was an exhilarating feeling, to be surrounded by friends. For what seemed like a long time, Sakura had felt shrouded in darkness. As if the constitution of her very soul had been weakened by her time spent in that grimy room far below the hospital. Things were returning to normal, and with that she felt empowered. She didn't want to think of Kabuto any more, didn't want to know what was happening to him now.

Didn't want to know if he was afraid, or lonely. Like she had been.

This evening, like all others, came to an end. Ichiraku closed, and the band of friends were forced to head out into the night. They bid each other farewell at the door, and many hugs and nudges were exchanged. The moonlight fell in sheets, bathing the streets in brilliant white light. Many of the shops had already closed, and only the occasional lit-window or streetlamp provided them with reprieve from the moon's intruding stare.

Kiba left, and Ino hugged her before departing with Shikamaru, her steps uneven. She left a wet kiss on Sakura's cheek, which the girl wiped at gingerly with her shoulder. Lee gave her a deep bow.

"Are you going to be okay getting home, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, his arm once again draped around Hinata's waist. She seemed more comfortable with it now, as if his strength gave her the energy she needed to hold her head high and be proud. Sakura marveled at it for a moment, wondering if Hinata would become someone more… bearable.

She chided herself for thinking that, her mind just a little fuzzy from the drinks. She didn't have anything against Hinata. It was unbecoming.

"Yeah," she murmured, tucking loose strands of short pink hair behind her ear. Normally Naruto would walk her home after ramen, but times were changing. She didn't want to get in the way. "You know I'm not far from here."

Neji was still with the group, and though he had had an entire bottle of sake, it didn't show. "I will walk Haruno-san home," he offered, inclining his head to Naruto. "If that is alright with her, of course." He glanced sideways at Sakura.

Caught off guard, all the girl could do was nod. Hinata offered the two a deep bow, and Naruto waved happily as they turned and disappeared into the shadows. Alone with Neji, Sakura was unsure what to say. "You don't really need to walk me home, Hyuuga-san."

"There are things I wish to speak with you about," Neji replied, turning away suddenly and making for the direction of her apartment. How did he even know where she lived? Sakura stared after him for a moment, before sighing inwardly and scuttling to catch up.

They walked along in silence for what felt like a long time, Sakura trailing two or three steps behind the Hyuuga prodigy. She was trying hard not to think – not to let her mind wonder what Neji Hyuuga could possibly want to talk with her about. They hadn't exchanged more than mission details and commands for many years; he was basically a stranger to her. The most Sakura could remember saying to him outside of the context of mission-work was when they were children, when she would join Naruto in chastising him for his arrogance, and his treatment of Hinata.

Sakura looked up, realizing her companion had slowed his steps in order to walk next to her. She glanced at his face in the moonlight, thinking that he had become quite a handsome man. Tall, pristine features, long thick hair. Her eyes trailed down to the veins protruding on his forearms and the back of his hands. Indicative of good cardiovascular health, she thought, somewhat medicinally.

When her eyes returned to his face they were met with milky eyes, reminiscent of the moon glaring down above them. Sakura must have looked surprised, because Neji stopped walking and turned to face her more fully. Her heart jumped, but she wasn't sure why.

"You were the lead medical investigator for Kabuto Yakushi, were you not?"

And there was the drop. For some reason Sakura felt disappointment, even though she knew there was nothing else she and Neji Hyuuga could possibly have to talk about. She schooled her features into a façade of professionalism, masking the human girl quaking underneath. "I'm not really at liberty to share that information, you know."

"I was there," he offered, turning to continue walking. Sakura followed at a slow pace.

"I know."

Neji looked to her questioningly, and all Sakura could do was loft a soft smile. "Those ANBU masks might be good for hiding your identity from rivaling intelligence groups, but I've known you since I was twelve. Can't hide history."

"Ahh," the Hyuuga turned his head to the sky, eyes closed.

"If you already know, why are you even asking?"

They rounded the corner onto the street where Sakura lived. A lone lamp blinked down the road, incandescent light bathing the cobblestone path in moments of white. Green-leaved trees hung out over the street, peeking over high wooden fences. Small flowers bloomed in the greenery, and Neji reached up with long arms to pluck one. He twirled it between the pads of his fingers. Sakura watched curiously, the silvery petals reached in to a soft pink center and reminded her of the man she didn't want to be reminded of.

Neji held the bloom out after a wordless moment. Sakura took it delicately, bringing the flower to her nose and breathing deeply. It was saccharine. She crushed it in her palm and dropped it onto the street.

"I don't really like flowers."

They had stopped walking, and now stood under the streetlamp. Her apartment was just a few rows away. "That's ironic, considering you are named after one."

Sakura laughed quietly, before looking up at his face. "Tell me what you wanted to talk about, Neji."

He nodded, jaw clenching and unclenching. "Morino Ibiki approached me today. He asked me to seek you out, and to learn more about your relationship with Yakushi."

Her chest tightened. "Why not come to me himself? You and I… aren't close."

"He is busy with the interrogation. I've been assigned to detail at the Correctional Facility where Kabuto is being held. Morino knows we've worked together before, and thought I might be able to convince you that you could be of more assistance in the information recovery process."

"…The information recovery process?" she echoed, looking longingly towards the gate to her apartment. "I hate to disappoint you, but I don't have any more information about Kabuto than anyone else. Unless you count having a penchant for philosophy and being a world-class bastard."

Neji blinked. "He spoke about… philosophy?"

"Quite often. He was always trying to pull me into conversations." She felt self-conscious suddenly, realizing that her many notes on Kabuto were most definitely under scrutiny by the famed interrogator. She had purposefully left out the long conversations, not wanting to depict herself as a cog in Kabuto's machine. She thought it would pass for strict professionalism, but with Neji standing here, obviously it hadn't. Would she be reprimanded? Called a traitor? "I didn't… want to engage with him. He was very persistent."

"Why do you think that was?" he questioned, glaring down at her with those damn eyes. As if the byakugan could see the truth inside of her head without her saying it.

Sakura laughed bitterly. "I don't know." Her breath came out in a puff and she glared off to the side. "He's a psychopath. He just wanted to fuck with me." The uncharacteristic expletive fell from her lips with little shame. "That's kind of what he does."

Neji seemed surprised by her sudden passion, or at least as surprised as the effortlessly stoic man could be. "Why didn't you write about this in your reports?"

There it was. Sakura dropped her eyes to the ground. Because it was too… personal. Because for whatever bizarre reason, she didn't hate those conversations. Had actually looked forward to them, before she realized that he was just playing games with her head. And she didn't want to admit that it had hurt, just a little. That he had given her something exciting, something that was just hers. And when she realized what a fool she was being, she felt humiliated. Why was she never allowed to have anything for herself? "I didn't think it was relevant. They were just meaningless words."

"Everything he says is relevant."

"I don't know, Neji! I felt like he was trying to spin me into a web, and writing about it made it real. I didn't want it to be real, or to have to think about anything that happened in that room." She looked up at him desperately, "I wish Naruto had just killed him."

"Sakura…" Neji forgot to add the formality to her name, obviously uncomfortable with the emotion brimming in her words. He tried to look away, but Sakura stepped forward and caught his arm, forcing him to witness this moment of weakness.

"He made me see a part of myself I never wanted to see. I put my ethics aside, I saved the life of a killer and a liar. At first it was for Sasuke and for Naruto and for everyone here…" she trailed off, unsure of what she meant to say. "I thought I was doing the right thing. But it felt wrong. It always felt wrong, as if he was dirtying my soul and I was letting him."

Why was she saying all of this? Sakura dropped Neji's arm, ashamed.

"You helped secure a valuable assent for the Land of Fire, Sakura. This is an unprecedented win for us."

Was he trying to comfort her? Sakura took a deep breath and composed herself. She held her eyes closed for a long moment. "I felt like I was betraying everyone."

How strange it was that this moment of intimacy was being shared with someone like Neji Hyuuga. It should be Naruto she was standing with, filled to the brim and ready to burst. Neji was speaking again. "You did what you were asked to do, but if we had known that he was putting you under such stress…" What would they have done? Taken her off? No one else could do what she had done. The jutsu was hers and hers alone. "We would have approached his interrogation differently," he finished.

"What would you do differently?" Sakura questioned, pleased to find herself sounding much more resolute.

"It's clear that Yakushi wanted something from you. Even if it was just to break you down, we could use that. Turn it against him."

"Traditional means would be useless against him…" Sakura whispered.

Deadpan, Neji agreed. "They have been so far."

It wasn't hard to see where this was going. "You want to use me to get to him. I can't imagine it would work."

He nodded. "It's the best lead we have. Morino wants you to come to the facility, but he said it was important that you came of your own accord. You don't have to do it."

"I don't want to," she admitted.

"You'd be giving us our best chance at defeating the Sound and destroying Orochimaru. Of protecting the Leaf…" He looked her directly in the eyes. "Of bringing Sasuke home."

How could she refuse?

* * *

XXX

* * *

Kabuto paced back and forth, sand crunching under his feet. The sun beat down on his shoulders, eliciting a thick sheen of sweat from his skin. He felt impatient – desperate. When he had awoken in this place, days ago, he had sat in the same spot for hours under the unrelenting sun. Just waiting for something to happen. Preferably for the genjutsu to break.

It didn't.

After his first run-in with Ibiki, Kabuto was kept in his cell with no interaction for many days. Without a window he didn't know exactly how many, but Kabuto was not a man to sleep wantonly. Even with no external stimulation, he busied his waking hours with mental preparation for what he knew was to come. Several of the missing-nin he had captured and experimented on had endured the mind-games of Morino Ibiki, and before their deaths Kabuto had expertly interviewed them on what the experience was like. Patterns immerged.

First the isolation. No sunlight, disorientation. Left alone with their thoughts, some would drive themselves mad with anticipation. By the time Ibiki returned, their secrets would spill forth out of fear of what was to come.

Those who did not buckle under the weight of their own captivity were subjected to a sequence of genjutsu, the first being the sun. Kabuto had heard the story many times, how each would wander through the endless desert in search of food or shelter, burning in the heat and slowly weakening with dehydration. There was no reprieve of death, the haunting needs of the human body never giving way to sweet absolution. Instead they wandered, and wandered, time passing as the sun never once shuddered away from high noon.

Next came the water. Threading water in the ocean until the muscles weakened and the will gave way, and then the head slips below the surface and the lungs gave out. Drowning for hours and hours, sinking to the deepest crevices of the world. Still no reprieve.

Kabuto had never met a being who had experienced what came after that. It was something he found entirely disappointing – the weakness of the human constitution. What these feeble lives never seemed to comprehend, something which he himself had spent years preparing for, was that the pain isn't real. As he stepped back and forth over the same few feet of desert, his lips dry and his stomach turned in upon itself, he reminded himself of this over and over.

He knew that days had not truly passed. In reality he was laying back in the prison cell, the dark walls all around him, prying eyes waiting to see him buckle. It had probably only been minutes, and he had taken water not long before retiring to slumber. The feeling that he was shriveling up in the sun was not real. He was not truly hungry, his skin was not flaking off of his body.

Kabuto looked to his bare shoulder, where the flesh had welted up with redness and begun to peel. He resisted the urge to rip the offending film away.

It sure felt real.

He finally plopped back down onto his butt, threading his fingers into the hot sand. It sifted through the appendages, dropping back to the earth with abandon. It was frustrating in truth, his inability to hold on to anything. Without that damn seal, he could easily break out from the genjutsu. Even with Morino's expert skills, a weak offshoot of the mangekyou sharingan itself, the effort would be minimal. Kabuto had to placate himself, remembering that this had all happened for a reason. That soon enough he would be in control once again.

That he had never truly lost it.

Still, without chakra he felt exposed. Weak. Kabuto had spent his entire life chasing power – had succumb to the devil himself in its pursuit. And now he was powerless. Like a god reduced to an ant and forced to be trampled by the humorless beasts of the world. It was humiliating.

He fell onto his back, staring up at the unyielding sun and demanding his eyes not to squint. In truth, out of all of the emotions he had been forced to process during this unending purgatory, the most prevalent had been boredom. There was little to occupy himself with. As the burning star began to blot out his vision, he imagined a face forming. Smooth porcelain lines, highlighted by soft pink edges. Vibrant green eyes, and a pert nose.

A disapproving set to the lips seemed appropriate.

Kabuto smiled softly, eyes growing heavy lidded. Sweet and stern Sakura Haruno, his own little pet peeve. He imagined her floating down out of the sky and touching to the hot sand, stepping towards his splayed body. Remembered what it felt like when her soft healing chakra melded with his own malevolent forces. Like a bird caught in the grasp of a snake. Delicious.

And then there were her soft fingers, tracing around the edges of his burnt skin. Over the shoulders, down the chest. Like an oasis of sensation. Kabuto let his eyes slide shut, relishing the idea of her smell.

How much better this world would be if he had something to play with, something to destroy.

Of course, destruction wasn't really what he wanted right now. This mirage of Sakura – this memory of something human – reached deep into him and drew out something close to decent. Not quite, but close. Why hadn't he tried this before? Already the desperate tickle in the back of his throat was less prevalent. His hunger seemed less pressing. Those velvety fingers traced up towards the line of his jaw and ghosted over his ear, intoxicating. Threaded deep into the roots of his hair.

Kabuto lazily looked up at the girl and started, realizing that her face had become twisted. The fingers in his hair balled into a fist, pulling back at the base of his skull. It hurt, sending a shock through his system. "Sakura!" he gasped, trying to push her away.

What had this flower become? Something dark… marked by the affections of a demon.

The jutsu broke, the blinding sky suddenly darkening into the packed adobe roof of his prison cell. Kabuto shot up, cold sweat beading on his skin. He reached up to his shoulders and found them clothed in the same dark tunic, now wet with perspiration. There were no burns there. He was breathing heavily, and his grey eyes raked over the room. Ibiki stood in his usual corner, shadows bathing his back, arms crossing over his chest.

"Good morning," the burnt man offered, voice gruff. Kabuto wondered how long he had been in the genjutsu; had it been hours, or only minutes? He was leaning towards the latter, considering Ibiki seemed quite comfortable.

Kabuto yawned for effect, stretching his arching arms out high above his head. "I was hoping a prisoner of my stature deserved a little more than the basics, honestly."

Ibiki stepped forward, arms uncrossing. "Of your stature?" he repeated, looking amused. "Let's start with the basics and see how it goes from there."

A laugh wrought its way out of Kabuto's throat. "And next you'll leave me to drown for days. Childs play. We both know you'll never get anything out of me. You'd be better off putting a kunai in my chest and calling it a day." He grinned smoothly, "Say things got passionate. You'll look better on paper that way."

Silence sprawled between the two for a few moments. Ibiki stepped towards the gate and looked out to the other side. Kabuto followed his gaze, seeing an empty corridor. The older man's eyes swept back quite suddenly and caught his prisoner's. He stepped close, so close that Kabuto could smell the stench of his breath. "I wonder," mused Ibiki, lips twisted up at the edges, "what she thought of your little show?"

 _She?_

Kabuto whipped his head away, glaring hard at the area beyond his cell. Just at the edges he could see the slightest shimmer. Some kind of jutsu kept him from seeing who or what was outside his prison, but he knew immediately. Sakura. They had brought her here, back to him. Kabuto fell back onto his cot, winded. He stared up at Ibiki with a jubilant glean to his eyes.

He pushed his chin forward possessively. "I bet she loved it."

Outside of the cell Sakura stood with her hand clenched right above her heart, trembling. She reached up and intertwined her fingers to steady the shiver, eyebrows knit tightly together above her emerald eyes. "Did you hear that?" she whispered, swallowing a lump in her throat. She cast a furtive glance in Neji's direction, who was now dressed in full ANBU garb and standing stiffly a few feet away. Sakura couldn't see his face. "He said… my name."

She had been watching the entire spectacle. Had come early in the morning, when the sky was still in that spectral place between night and day, and the sun was just beginning to peak over the far-away mountains that surrounded the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

Ibiki had entered the cell alone while Kabuto still slept; Sakura half expected the silver-haired fiend to jump up with no notice and attack, but he seemed to sleep peacefully. Deeply. His face relaxed, highlighted by a low-burning candle near his cot. And then Ibiki performed a series of seals, chanting lowly. Kabuto jerked in the bed, his eyes fluttering but not opening. For a long time nothing happened. Ibiki stood over the cot with his fingers held resolutely in front of his chest, occasionally flipping through different seals. Sakura watched with rapt attention.

Thirty minutes went by, and her neck began to hurt. She ran warm fingers over her shoulders and rubbed the muscles there. Sweat had collected under her collar. Just when she was beginning to wonder why she had come to this place, Kabuto jerked violently in the bed. His head pushed back into the shoddy pillow beneath it, and he exhaled something.

Her name.

She heard it, and her blood ran cold. Just what game was Ibiki playing?

Kabuto was awake now, and the two were exchanging words. She was too distracted to hear any of it, until Kabuto's head snapped in her direction and she could swear he looked right at her. He grinned.

Sakura stepped away from the gate, looking to Neji. The man angled his fox-mask at her, but continued not to say anything. After a moment the gate opened a Morino Ibiki stepped through. Neji moved to the space and quickly locked it behind the man. Sakura looked up at him, dropping her arms to her sides. "Where did you take him?" She asked, voice hard as stone.

Ibiki sighed, pulling the bandana with the Leaf's symbol from his head. His marred skin caught in the candlelight, the divots casting shadows seemingly deeper than the darkest crevices of the world. She was taken aback for a moment, although this was not the first time she had come face-to-face with Ibiki's reality. The only other time had been during her first round of the chunin exams, when this man had seemed larger than life.

Now he was just a man, and he looked almost tired. "He was in the desert," Ibiki answered simply. "I have a… regimen," he continued, looking into the cell where Kabuto sat at the edge of the bed and stared in frustration at them. The medic could not see or hear anything.

"He said my name."

"It seems Yakushi has found a way to distract himself."

What did that mean? She had a pretty good idea, but couldn't bear to think of it. Instead she stared up at Ibiki incredulously, lip finding its way between her teeth. "So what am I doing here?" she asked finally, lofting a shoulder to the side and glancing back into the cell. Kabuto had rolled away in his bunk, back facing her and silver hair falling over the edge. She turned away. "Neji said you thought I could help… but it looks like you've got things covered here."

"I knew Yakushi would not yield to traditional techniques long before he was brought to me," Ibiki started, stepping away from her and finding a comfortable spot against the wall to lean against. Neji stood stoically next to him. "Not someone like him… It was serendipitous that I came across your notes. Or at least that there seemed to be some kind of… magnetism between the two of you."

Sakura looked uncomfortably to Neji. "How could you tell that from my notes?"

Ibiki's lips pressed together thinly. "It wasn't the content of your notes, Sakura-san. It was that lack thereof."

She took that in stride. "And what do you expect to gain from my presence?"

Pushing off of the wall, Ibiki lumbered toward her and dug a hand deep down into his pocket. A scroll was produced, and he pushed it into her palm. Sakura held the rough parchment, examining it in the candlelight. The word 'classified' was written in delicate kanji across a roll of tape which bound it. "Take this with you. Study it."

She thumbed the rice paper. "What is it?"

"Advanced genjutsu, my own design."

He wanted her to use this? On Kabuto? Sakura wasn't trained for this. She told Ibiki just as much, but his only response was to scoff.

"It's your choice to be here, Haruno-san. I believe this is the best chance we have at garnering information from Yakushi. You are not under orders, but I can tell that your own ethical code will prevent you from denying this opportunity."

As Ibiki spoke, another body came into the room. ANBU. Neji piqued up, shifting from his spot against the wall and approaching the new guard. "You're here for the afternoon shift?" The Hyuuga questioned, adjusting his fox mask.

"Yes," responding the ANBU from behind his own snake mask. It was a voice Sakura recognized, but not from around the village. This was the same man who had been guarding the hospital room where Kabuto had been originally kept. She blinked curiously, feeling a small amount of frustration at the secrecy of the ANBU members. They were in friendly territory, for christ's sake. She let the sudden segue of thought roll off her shoulder, regarding the new man with a simple nod of the head and pocketing the scroll.

"I will," she said finally, watching as Neji made his was to leave. She followed him hesitantly, glancing back only once. The man in the fox mask stared after her, and Ibiki lumbered back into the cell.


	8. Chapter 7

**Strange Terrain:**

Chapter 7.

 **Author's Notes:**

I'm also taking out most of my author's notes, considering they usually just involve fishing for reviews : ) But you know I still want 'em, yo.

* * *

XXX

* * *

A dim light fell across Sakura's living room. Forest-green drapes waved lazily in the warm summer air, billowing out from the two-paned window above the small table where she kept her notes. They ruffled melodically. It was evening again, and the cicadas sang ceaselessly outside. Sakura stood in the center of the room, looking around. A large oak bookshelf sat behind her simple couch and was decorated with small trinkets and many heavy books. Some were leather-bound, dusty and untouched except for the faintest marks where greasy fingers had once held them many years ago. A small red rug under the coffee table, made of thatch, covered the light-wood floor. An island protruded from the wall in her kitchen, and here is where she kept the picture of young Team 7, and the white lily.

Laid out in front of it was the scroll Ibiki had given her, unopened.

She looked at it for a long time, feeling as if a great weight had been placed upon her shoulders. Or, more aptly, as if the weight which was already there had doubled. It was almost physical in its intensity, with her lower back aching in chords. She moved to sit on her small couch, the plush cushions soft against her exposed thighs. Sakura wore her night shorts and a small tank-top, her middrift exposed to the summer heat.

Green eyes found their way to the photo of Team 7, and she regarded it for a while. Old memories flooded her minds-eye, of when she and Sasuke and Naruto had all been so close, and of the struggles they had endured together. With time she found that her thoughts did not stray to those days as often, but she could still remember the sense of helplessness that had woven the fabric for most of her experiences back then. She remembered what it was like, to feel useless. For it to seem as if she were walking alone down the road while Sasuke and Naruto sprinted on ahead of her.

In those days, she was left behind. Left to wait while they both chased their dreams, and each other.

Even after she became Tsunade's student, those feelings were still strong. Her mind often went back to the days when she was forced to stay in the background, lest she get in the way. Always the wrench in what would otherwise be a good plan.

But the years went on, as they are want to do. She threw herself into her studies, determined not to have to feel that way again. Still, the underlying feeling of being a dog in a wolf's fight was always there.

And now things had changed drastically. Sakura was no longer on the other side of the glass, looking in. Now she was inside, wrapped up in a cocoon of dangerous thread and wondering why she had ever envied the powerful. She felt as if she was not ready to play such an integral role in the things to come, and worried that she would buckle under the pressure.

It didn't feel fair. She knew logically that her decisions had been determined for her, and that her own self-loathing would bury her long before Orochimaru ever could if she refused to help. Still, she longed for the lack of responsibility of her younger days. As if it were implausible that someone like her could end up with so much riding on her actions. She wondered if history were slowly being written, and if so, how her story would read.

Would she be the girl who was once again too afraid to look a demon in the eyes? Was she a tool, a mere piece of a large puzzle not worth much more than a few lines of historian's text?

Would she be called a traitor?

That last line of thought caught her off-guard, and she wondered where it came from. It was clear by now that Kabuto had some kind of fascination with her, otherwise this role before her would not exist. The attention of a mad-man had brought her center-stage, but it was that exact attention that made everything seem so _wrong_. Sakura knew logically that Kabuto had given the Hidden Leaf a great bane to use against him, but the fact that it was her seemed… strange.

This was not the Kabuto that she had battled for so many years. His behavior towards her was unusual, and she could not help but feel dread at the thought that he had not drawn her into this web unintentionally.

Had they truly found a weapon to use against Kabuto? Or was he blinding them to much more sinister intentions by shifting all of the focus onto what was transpiring between the two medics?

And more importantly, what _was_ transpiring between the two medics?

Sakura couldn't be sure. Attraction fueled by admiration? Convenience? Nothing about this was convenient – not for her.

The thought of once again being in a room with Kabuto made her feel as if the flames had been turned up beneath a very large pot, and the longer she stayed, the more likely the water was to boil over. No matter what the circumstances, she didn't feel as if she had any power. She wasn't the one calling the shots, even with him locked away and stripped of the very force which made him the terrible beast that he was.

He was still terrible, even without it.

Finally, resolutely, Sakura pushed off of the couch and grabbed the scroll. Thumb finding its way beneath the seal wrapped around the parchment, she looked again at the picture of Team 7. It wasn't Sasuke's face she stared at, though. It was her own.

Green eyes reflected in the glass, she removed the seal.

* * *

XXX

* * *

Kabuto was dozing on the edge of his cot. He lay on his side, staring out through the unseeable gates, wondering who was on the other side. It had been a few hours since Ibiki left, and he was growing tired. He knew if he succumb to slumber, the next round of terrorization would begin. Knew that the moment he let his mind slide under the covers, a jutsu would be cast to hold him there and drag him somewhere far away. If his information had been correct, he'd wake up in the ocean.

Kabuto didn't want that, but at the same time he was curious. He wondered if all the time and energy he had spent preparing for such a circumstance would measure up. Surely it would; Ibiki's skills were far below his own. A cheap rip-off of the mangekyou sharingan. Kabuto had practiced with the real thing, much to the rouge Uchiha's glee.

He balked at the thought of Sasuke. He didn't like to think of Sasuke, the way gods don't like to think of ants.

Such a fuss about Orochimaru's next meat-package. An entire nation of people falling over their asses about a boy with a bad attitude, and Kabuto didn't get it. Couldn't get it. He placed no value on the relationships others built, and that seemed to be the only value Sasuke Uchiha had to offer the pathetic shinobi of the Leaf. Certainly he had no instrumental value – if anything, every action he'd made after joining Orochimaru had been to destabilize that nation.

And yet they fought so hard to regain him. Fools. Sasuke was nothing; a dark soldier. By placing such importance on him, they built him up to unrealistic platitudes.

Their real goal, if they wanted to truly protect their lands, should always have been to capture him. Kabuto thought this self-servingly, his lips in a flat line.

Still… it was probably in his best interest that their focus remained on Sasuke. In particular, Sakura Haruno's focus. It was her own blind loyalty which put her in a den with a monster and no light; he would use that sense of loyalty against her until everything she thought she knew turned backwards.

It was just a matter of seeing her, first.

He knew he could use her, and the fact that Ibiki no doubt planned to serve her up on a platter just made things easier. His faith in the man had not gone unrewarded; he knew that the time spent with Sakura would catch the interrogator's attention, and that they would move to bring her into the fray. Once he had her alone – and he would no doubt have her – the next part of the game could unfold.

That was the exciting part, but before that he had to survive his time with Ibiki.

Kabuto let his eyes grow heavy, a single hand falling over the edge of the cot. The sooner he faced this, the sooner he could move on. His mind began to fog, his thoughts of evil deeds calming into a sense of mere being. No complications, nothing to plot about.

As the haze grew, the fingers on his good hand brushed against something cold. At first he did not recognize the sensation, but soon he recognized it as wetness. He tried to remain calm as his muscles grew heavy and uncoordinated, but could not stop the sudden inhalation of air as he tipped off the side of the cot and fell flat against the water's surface.

It reached up to greet him, bitter liquid engulfing his entire body and shocking his system. It had begun, he knew, eyes wrenching open. Suddenly he had use of his arms and legs again, and he thrashed violently up to the surface of the water. High waves, deep navy in color, undulated rapidly around him. Overhead the sky was dark with storm, and ominous flashes of light colored the sky. He used his arms excessively, instinct demanding that he keep his head above the foul waves. Sprays of seafoam shot up around him, his hair sticking to his face.

Dark clothes heavy with water, Kabuto gasped and felt himself slip beneath the chaos. Beneath the water everything was eerily quiet, and he would have liked to stay there in the serenity had it not been for his burning lungs demanding the sweet reprieve of gaseous air. He shot back up from the tumult, body heaved back and forth by the great force of the ocean. He coughed and gasped, arms treading aimlessly in either direction.

This was really quite distressing, he thought, removed from the situation. His eyes burnt from the seawater, and the waves around him tossed his body like a doll. Head occasionally dipping below the surface, he tried hard not to expend his precious energy. The moment was high-adrenaline, but he knew that there would be no salvation until his limbs gave out and he sunk down, down, down.

Still, instinct wouldn't let him.

The sky cracked thunderously overhead, and in a moment opened up and began pelting the ocean's surface with fat drops of rain. Slowly at first, and then with more force until the great expanse seemed to be brimming with life. Kabuto coughed as a particularly hefty wave pitched him back beneath the water, his larynx screaming as the liquid forced its way passed the soft mucous lining of his throat and into his lungs. He bowed his arms out over his head and swam up the few feet to the surface, eyes streaming unknowably.

In the air again, he coughed and sputtered. The storm raged on overhead, vicious and loud. It was as if he were being enveloped in a symphony of sound, the crash of the waves and the pelting of the rain disorienting him and igniting a sense of visceral panic.

He had to remind himself this wasn't real – that he was safe and dry back at the prison, arm hanging off the cot.

Kabuto treaded on, purposefully ducking his head under the water when particularly rancorous walls of water swept him up. This went on for some time, until his shoulders ached and his calves cramped. The freezing water chilled him deep to the bone, but eventually the high waves gave way and the storm passed on; he was left floating in relatively serene twilight with the stars twinkling overhead.

Kabuto levied himself onto his back, light mist still cascading down on his face from the storm before. Slight waves lulled him without taking him under, reminding him of a child in a cradle. The effort to remain above water eased but did not dissipate. He laced his tired arms through the water and occasionally kicked his legs, breathing deeply. How long would he be able to stay like this? Until his constitution faltered and the black abyss below opened up to greet him?

Hours passed, and the sun's first pink rays crested over the horizon. Kabuto watched lazily as the star moved higher and the sky turned orange, and then yellow, and the blue. Cumulous clouds hung low overhead, satisfied with their release. They cast shadows over him, and as the temperature rose he found the cool they gave him to be a welcomed relief.

The morning waned, afternoon setting in with the sun high overhead. His stomach rumbled, but he quelled the desire for food. His throat itched dryly, and it was cruel that he was engulfed in water he could not drink. The salt dried on his skin. When the sky darkened into evening, bolts of lightning crashed in the abyss. Periodically at first, and then with growing urgency. Dark clouds collected overhead, the water growing violent around him again. Kabuto fell from his back and bobbed at the surface, sporadically pushed below and thrown around uselessly. The sky opened up again, and again he was pelted with rain and forced to thrash for his life.

The night went on like this, the tumult passing long before the morning rays first colored the sky. His entire body ached, but when the water was still he laid at the surface, and when it was rough he forced his muscles to compensate.

This world appeared to be on some kind of cycle, with warm calm days and bitter angry nights. He noticed when he watched the sky that he saw the same figures floating above him during the same parts of the day, and at night the storm came with calculated regularity. Definitely a cycle.

Kabuto wondered if he were not truly back in the cot, but in actuality had been transported to some merciless place. Some kind of limbo, where he was forced to live the same brutal day over and over. He dismissed this notion as the paranoid impression of a stressed mind, but the segue of thought continued to nag at him. He was beginning to detach from rational thought, and into a place where only the most urgent of needs could be entertained. If he knew what was good for him, he'd submerge his head under the water and refuse to come up until his lungs gave out and filled with water. No matter how many times he dove his head below the surface, though, the burning sensation demanded that he struggle back to air.

Five days passed, and his weakness grew unbearable. Kabuto could barely stay on his back, the ache in his muscles so pressing that only smallest of adjustments were allowed to keep him afloat. When the storm came, it whipped him about with no resistance. He stayed for minutes under the surface like a taut string gone limp, and only the natural undulation of the water brought him back for breath.

When he finally went down, it was quick. He dipped below the surface and stayed there.

The instinct not to breath underwater was so strong that it overcame the agony of running out of air. No matter how desperate Kabuto became, he could not inhale until he felt the verge of unconsciousness. With the levels of carbon dioxide rising in his blood, and the oxygen decreasing, his brain triggered an involuntary inhalation. Sort of like a neurological optimism – as if the organ were saying: _not breathing is killing us, and breathing might not kill us, so we might as well breathe in._

The edges of his vision became blurry as his mouth involuntarily gulped open like a fish and water rushed into his windpipe. The pain of drowning was immediate, but it was accompanied by a strange sense of incredulity. Was this actually happening? ' _So this is drowning_.' Kabuto thought, arms limp at his side. He thought he ought to fight his way back to the surface, but everything was growing dark. He couldn't move. The water finally bypassed his windpipe, and he felt his lungs fill like water balloons.

It was excruciating, and he screamed. The last of the air in his body streamed out from his nose and mouth, before he was coughing and convulsing and drawing more water into his body.

There was no reprieve of unconsciousness, not here. He began to sink like a rock, staring blanking up as the surface became further and further away. The part of him that knew this wasn't real was buried deep beneath a layer of carbon dioxide induced blackness. He wasn't really dying, but it sure felt like it. Only the most animalistic part of Kabuto remained, desperate and yet strangely resigned to this fate. Too drunk from oxygen deprivation to feel afraid anymore, he closed his eyes in pain as his body retched and forced another breath of water.

No wonder he had never met a person who had made it past this phase of interrogation. Kabuto became quite sure that he would say anything at this point to end his suffering.

How long would he be like this? Days?

The thought made him wish for death. Dying would be better than this.

Kabuto sank to the bottom of the ocean, and his limp body fell against the silty floor. When he felt the sensation of landing, suddenly his weightlessness disappeared and gravity took hold of him. Like glass breaking, the water shattered around him and dissipated into shards. He fell flat, gasping out angrily and finding air rushing into his lungs. He coughed violently, trying to sit up, still disoriented.

A pair of hands stilled him and pushed him back onto the cot. He felt the pillow beneath his head, and a feeling of intense relief flooded his system. His breath came rapidly, and he didn't open his eyes for a long time. Those hands, cool to the touch, ran over his forehead and pushed his hair back. Kabuto blinking wearily, finally craning his neck to look at Sakura.

She sat next to him. They were back in the cell, the small walls a welcomed reprieve from the endless ocean. "Why is it every time I'm coming out of hell I see your face?" he asked finally, voice in rasps.

"Just lucky I guess."

Sakura's eyes crinkled with her smile. She continued to brush the hair off of his forehead for a moment, before withdrawing her hands and folding them delicately in her lap. Kabuto took a moment to examine the girl, barely registering the sound of Ibiki stepping out of the cell. She was wearing the white nurse's dress again, tight in all the right places. The hem was high, exposing milky thighs. Her collar was starched and descended generously towards her bosom – she wasn't particularly ample, but the dress fit well around her wide hips. Clearly a woman.

Had they dressed her like this in an attempt to throw him off? Weak stuff, if so. Kabuto let his eyes travel up to her face, and found the girl staring down at him with an expression of consternation. Sakura's hair was left uncharacteristically down, the pink tendrils hanging in choppy lines around her chin. "Kabuto-" she started to speak, but he cut her off.

"Why are you here, Sakura?" If she noticed the lack of an honorific, she didn't show it. He did his best to feign surprise at her appearance, making a point to keep his face pinched in discomfort.

Sakura blinked. "Uh.. Morino-san. He requested I be here to maintain your medical care between…" she trailed off, dropping her eyes. "Well, you know."

"Between sessions of torture?" he asked, a hint of humor in his voice.

The pink-haired medic heaved a sigh, sitting forward in her seat until Kabuto could smell her floral scent. He inhaled deeply without realizing it, pleased that he got to breathe air and that it was _her_ air. ' _Well played, Ibiki_ ,' he thought. What an innocuous way to bring her to him. No doubt that burnt man watched intently in the other room, looking for any sign of weakness to exploit. Kabuto wondered what his next move should be, so lost in thought that the feeling of a cool hand grasping his own startled him to the point of jerking.

Sakura had reached out, and now her hand cupped his sympathetically.

"Kabuto," she breathed, voice like silt and awash with concern. "Please, just tell them where Orochimaru is. Seeing you like this… it…" her grip tightened, "It hurts."

He flipped her hand and rubbed his thumb over her fingers, a scoff on his mouth. Sakura continued to speak. "You don't have to suffer anymore. You could find redemption here." She leaned forward, the collar of her uniform falling open ever-so-slightly. "…With me."

Had Ibiki recruited her and fed her these lines? The Sakura Haruno that Kabuto knew was no actress; her real emotions shone on the surface for all to see. It was something he liked about her, but there was no way the stern but emotional medic he had observed over the years and interacted with during his captivity would ever say these things. If she harbored much more than loathing for him, it would be a miracle. And was he imagining it, or did her thumb just move affectionately down the palm of his hand?

Kabuto's lip ticked as he realized just what was happening.

"You know, Sakura really hates that uniform." He snatched his hand away, sitting up with some effort on the cot. "It makes her uncomfortable, though she'd never admit it. She wouldn't be caught dead in that thing outside of the hospital."

Sakura blinked, drawing her hand to her chest. Her brows knit together, a look of genuine confusion crossing her features. "What are you talking about? I came straight from the hospital – because I was worried about you!" She was leaning forward again, desperately grabbing at his hands and searching his eyes.

"She also hates touching me."

The genjutsu had never ended. It had merely changed from one scene to another. Very clever. Kabuto felt a fool for being taken in by it, even if briefly.

Still, this faux-Sakura pressed on. "It's me," she whispered, bringing a feeling of anger to the man's chest. This was no good – this was not what he wanted. Kabuto narrowed his eyes, deciding that Ibiki ought to know that anything other than the real thing would not do.

He caught her wrists in a sharp hold, standing abruptly and pulling her up with him. The girl let out a surprised yelp, her weight nothing to him. In one sure movement Kabuto threw her to the rough floor, pouncing on her like a feral cat. "Good!" he hissed, blocking this Sakura's arms are she flailed. "I wouldn't want to kill the wrong one of you!" She screamed beneath him, the blood-curling sound resonating pleasantly in his ears.

If this were reality the cell door would have swung open by now; Kabuto would be face-first in the dirt with an ANBU-issued boot on the back of his head. Nothing happened, and she was still screaming. Kabuto slapped her – hard – the force so great that his hand stung after. Sakura went quiet immediately, but she looked up at him with swimming eyes. "Kabuto- please don't…"

He sneered, smacking her hands out of the way and wrapping his own around her thin porcelain neck. He dug his thumbs in deep, arms shaking with the effort of it. Sakura was gurgling, her imaginary but realistic-feeling nails dragging down the skin of his forearms. They weren't long enough to draw blood, but Kabuto still bared his teeth at the sensation. He held on rehardless, squeezing as much as he could bare. Pain shot up his arm in spasms from the place where his finger was broken. Ibiki was probably enjoying this.

Sakura's face was beginning to redden, and she had stopped trying to claw his arms away and instead grasped weakly at his hands. She dropped her head back, eyes rolling. Her entire body did a small spasm, her hips buckling against his own. Kabuto glanced down, realizing that in their struggle the hem of her little nurse's dress had been pushed as high up as her bellybutton.

White panties. She had white panties on.

His grip loosened with that sudden distraction, his mind going quite blank. Sakura jerked her hips in an effort to dislodge him, gasping. They were flush against each other, and try as he might, Kabuto couldn't look away from that little strip of white cloth.

Something curled in the base of his belly, but he didn't recognize the sensation. Normally when he looked upon women he was unmoved; the less they wore, the closer that feeling came to revulsion. It had never been quite like that with Sakura, though. When she was young she was but a blimp on his radar, and as she aged he'd come to rather enjoy watching her. Found her little explosions amusing, and her medical prowess intriguing. Kabuto could admit that he had developed what one might describe as attraction for her, but it had never felt like this. So intense, as if some base part of him had reared its head high and called for satiation.

He liked it. He wanted to push that dress up farther and see the place where her ribs were taut under her skin, wanted to run rough fingers over it. He wanted to bite her chest and run his fingers under that flimsy white cloth while she was powerless to stop him.

He wanted to hear what kind of sound she would make if he did that.

Unconsciously Kabuto pushed his hips harder against the junction between her legs, tightening the grip on her neck. Delicious.

The genjutsu broke.

This time he knew it was real, for the pain in his hand ceased but the feeling of arousal did not. "I could go for more dreams like that," he said blithely, turning his head to look smugly in the direction Ibiki usually stood.

It was not Ibiki in the room. Sakura stood there, frozen, her hands still in the breaking seal. He was not expecting that.

Sakura dropped her hands, a horrified expression bleeding over her features. "You… you were-"

Kabuto shot up from the cot and crossed the cell in one quick movement, grabbing her by the forearms and pulling roughly until her face was only inches from his own. "Don't. Don't say it."

Breath coming in weak gasps, Sakura tried to wrench her hands away from his. She angled her head towards the tightly-packed dirt floor and felt stinging behind her eyes. She could feel it, while she held him under. She could feel everything he was feeling. And when he pressed his thumbs deep into her neck and shifted his weight up at the crevice between her legs, he had felt a coil of arousal in his gut. "Were you going to…" her voice was shaking, she couldn't finish the sentence.

Was he aroused by the thought of killing her?

The gate to the cell swung open, the attending ANBU rushing through and colliding with Kabuto. His hands ripped away from her arms with such sudden violence that a stray nail dragged down her arm and drew blood. Sakura yelped, feeling sick. She couldn't even think about this. Stumbling towards the cell door, her legs like jello, Sakura gripped the wrought-iron and glanced back.

Neji held Kabuto to the ground, his face obscured by that damn fox mask.

Sakura turned and vanished on the other side of the gate, dropping her face into her palms. Her hands were cool, but that did little to alleviate the heat coursing through her body. What she had just witnessed… it had been so real. Like she had been standing right there, watching Kabuto strangle some helpless version of herself and enjoying it far too much.

She couldn't read his thoughts, but could feel vague impressions of what Kabuto perceived. When she realized he wanted to push himself deep inside her, she couldn't maintain the jutsu anymore.

Why was she so hot? Sakura collected herself, breathing out slowly and dropping her hands. This just proved it – he was a psychopath. A psychopath that wanted to… with her…

What do you even do with that information?

"Sakura," came Ibiki's voice, and the girl in question shot her head up. In her distress she had almost forgotten where she was. "What happened?"

Oh god. Sakura stared wide-eyed, blinking a few times. Should she tell him? She couldn't even think about this, much less share it with Morino Ibiki. This was the first time she had been licked by the white-hot flames of desire, and Ibiki would surely want to use it as a weapon in the interrogation. Would he make her feign attraction to Kabuto? Would he make her touch him?

Her heart sped up at the thought. "He…" she trailed off, looking back into the cell. Neji had let Kabuto up, and the man had returned to his cot and was staring intently into the void. "He became violent," she finally answered, turning back to Ibiki. "He tried to choke my image out."

Ibiki was quite for a moment. "And why did you drop the jutsu?"

Why was she lying? This could be important information. It could lead to bring Sasuke home.

"I knew I wasn't going to get anything out of him once he realized he was under genjutsu."

Neji returned from the cell and closed it securely behind him. The gate's mechanism clicked loudly, and Neji returned to his sentinel position.

"Ahh," Ibiki clicked his tongue. "I imagine he wasn't very happy when he realized what was happening." Apparently her lies had been satisfactory, and Sakura swallowed deeply. "Very well," he continued loftily, "write a report, and I will contact you when we have our next move."

She nodded hastily, mind still swimming with the image of Kabuto pressed securely between her legs.

* * *

XXX

* * *

Inside the cell Kabuto sat with his hands intertwined, forefinger running absently over the broken knuckle on his right hand. His cheek smarted from being pushed into the ground by that nosey ANBU – Neji Hyuuga, judging by the height and weight. He wondered when the guard change would be, staring out in the emptiness beyond his cell. Was Sakura still out there? Was she telling Ibiki all about his little indiscretion?

Kabuto scoffed, running his tongue over his teeth. She wouldn't be too keen on sharing that information; he was confused enough by it, so the younger girl was probably up in airs.

Still… it was a grievous slip-up to be exposed like that. He usually took such care with his behavior – especially under observation. In truth, Kabuto was quite bewildered by the entire thing. He thought back to the last time he had wrapped his hands around that pretty little neck, and remembered how the intensity of the moment had gone to his head. That time he had leaned down and placed his mouth over her own, but it hadn't felt like an expression of any emotion as complicated as attraction or sexuality. At the time, he'd been caught up in the high of _winning_. Had wanted to taste victory – and maybe to some extent felt remorseful that this part of his playtime was over.

And that had been a mistake. His lapse in attention was what got him into this situation in the first place. He had never intended to be stripped of his chakra. Sakura Haruno was a dangerous woman… not because of her hideous strength or medical prowess, but because she possessed the rare ability to make him forget himself.

If she shared this information with Morino Ibiki, no good would come from it. He'd spend the rest of his time here alternating between torturous genjutsus meant to weaken his will, and pink-haired dreams begging him for release.

While the idea wasn't so terrible, that did little to move his plans forward. He needed Sakura in the flesh, and if she exposed this raw side of him they'd never let her in the same room again.

That simply wouldn't do.

For a moment Kabuto was crushed by a feeling of helplessness. For someone who relished control, it was truly disconcerting. Here he was in enemy territory - stripped of his chakra, playing a game of cat-and-mouse with one of the most accomplished enemy interrogators he'd ever encountered – and he was screwing it up because of something as frivolous as his libido.

The stakes were high. If he played his cards right, he could leave here stronger than ever before. If he didn't, he'd rot in this cell forever protecting the secrets of a madman.

It was somewhere along this vein of thought that the cell gate opened once again, and Morino Ibiki stepped inside. Kabuto regarded him quietly, determined not to give anything away. They looked at each other for a long time, until Ibiki pulled the Leaf symbol from his head and ran a rugged hand over the divots there.

"Haruno-san informs me that you did not enjoy our little show," the older man spoke finally, his age apparent in the bags under his eyes. Kabuto remained silent, unsure of the context of the other man's words. If anything, he had enjoyed it too much.

"I wonder," Ibiki continued, "why it is you became violent? Here I thought you liked our little blossom."

Relief flooded Kabuto's system. She hadn't told him, for whatever reason.

Empowered by the knowledge that he knew something Ibiki didn't, Kabuto jutted his shin out and grinned. "If you want a snake to bite, you've got to give it live bait."

A hefty pause. "And what purpose does that serve if the snake isn't planning to bite, anyways?"

Kabuto sat back against the cement wall behind his cot. It was time, he decided. He'd been on the run for too long, and it was time to angle himself into a position of power. To ensure that they had no other choice but to comply with his demands. "No more genjutsu," he started, voice low and serious. "If you put me under again, you'll never learn anything about Orochimaru."

He had Ibiki's interest. "Does this mean you are ready to talk?"

A saccharine smile spread over Kabuto's lips. "I'll talk… only to her. No gimmicks."

This would be perfect. Sakura hadn't given them the weapon they needed, and that meant that she was vulnerable. She could be manipulated, and soon enough she would want to protect his secrets. It was a long-shot that they would even put her in a room with him, but he could make it so they had no other choice. She would do it, he knew. Maybe out of misplaced loyalty, or morbid curiosity.

Ibiki neither agreed nor disagreed, but when he left it was with the distinct impression that Kabuto had pulled at the right straw. _Good,_ he thought. _Phase two complete._


	9. Chapter 8

**Strange Terrain:**

Chapter 8.

 **Author's Note:**

The revamp of this story is going well. Glad to see it going where it ought to be!

* * *

xxx

* * *

A kunai whizzed through the air, embedding itself deep into the trunk of a large oak. Sakura felt the breeze ripple past her ear, her hair undulating from the speed of the weapon as it passed. Chakra gathered in the balls of her feet; she catapulted herself high into the air and arched delicately upwards, flipping in a full circle before landing in a catlike position on one of the tree's thick branches. Vibrant green leaves tittered all about her, and she crouched low, one leg extended down the wood and her hands clasped soundly to the rough surface.

The wood snagged under her fingers, and she ran her thumb absently over the splinters. Squinting out into the clearing below, Sakura inhaled lowly through her nose.

 _Where is he?_

A ruffle to the left. Acting on instinct alone, the girl pushed herself up and flipped to the end of the branch. Three kunai punctured the wood where she had been crouched, each with a rhythmic _thunk_. She wavered at the end of the branch, the wood here too thin to hold her weight. It dipped down beneath her; Sakura jumped away quickly before the timber broke, landing on her toes in the lush grass below.

Behind her the air wavered. In one sure movement the girl whirled around, extending her leg high into the nothingness. It shimmered, the figure there moving faster than the eye could track. Still, she felt the solid connection of her shin against flesh. Sai appeared, his usually expressionless face pinched in consternation as he held his forearm high in front of his face, blocking Sakura's leg. She glowered at him, jerking the appendage away and falling to all fours on the ground, whipping around with practiced ease and sliding her leg under the place where he stood.

Sai avoided her easily, jumping over her imposing leg like a child over a rope at recess. When he came down it was with a kunai in his grip; he unleashed the weapon on her, forcing the girl to flip away. Chakra infused in her palms, Sakura pushed down hard and sent herself once again into the air. Her feet found a nearby branch. Landing with grace, Sakura pulled a kunai from her own leg-holster and sent it flying in the direction her wicked teammate had been moment before.

He disappeared in a plume of smoke, an impaled log falling uselessly to the ground in his place.

Sakura grimaced, her hair sticking to the sweat at the nape of her neck. Her chest heaved, straining under the light training garb she wore for just such occasions. The summer heat hung low all around her, insects and animals alike buzzing with life in the surrounding forestry. She felt alive too – the blood pumping vigorously through her veins and tingling in her fingers and toes.

Another rustle of leaves. Sakura snapped her head to the right, watching as Sai crested over the canopy of leaves on his painted bird. She backed away, her heel slipping on the edge of the branch and causing her to lose her footing. The girl dropped quite suddenly, plummeting towards the forest floor with little more than a gasp escaping her chapped lips. Only a last-second burst of chakra to her feet set her upright and saved her a broken leg; she landed unsurely and again craned up to look at Sai.

"I thought we weren't using our specialties!" she called loudly, emerald eyes catching coal.

Sai shrugged expressionlessly. "I thought we were just having fun." He dismissed the bird with a simple seal, touching down to the ground deftly. He began to approach the heaving girl, almost leisurely, pulling another kunai from the pack on his belt. "This is how I have fun."

Sakura grinned a genuine smile, fueled by adrenalin. She pushed off of the ground and sprinted forward, dragging a weapon from her own holster and holding it surely in front of her chest. They locked eyes as Sai shot forward as well, his own kunai ready. When they met it was with a spark of metal on metal, force sending the small knife in Sakura's hand skittering off into the dirt. She grunted, falling back on her heels before jamming her elbow forward towards the boy's chin.

He bobbed his head back, narrowly avoiding impact. Sai made to connect his kunai with her side, but Sakura blocked his oncoming attack with a quick jab to the wrist. The kunai plunged to their feet unnoticed; both ninja fell into a practiced taijutsu, arms and legs a flurry of movement. They went back and forth, neither particularly adept in the art of hand-to-hand combat but still thoroughly enjoying the exertion.

A well-placed hand to the chest sent Sai stumbling away. Sakura didn't let up, following him backwards and hitting him again and again. Something began to rise in her chest – something angry and uncontrollable, like a wave of fire sweeping her up and engulfing her from the inside.

Their arms collided with increasing urgency, Sai on the defense and backing up inches at a time. Sakura felt a scream bubbling in her throat, and she reached out with chakra-infused swiftness and pulled him forward by the hem of his practice shirt. The boy lurched in surprise, stumbling gut-first into her ready fist. Sakura let a burst of chakra flow from her knuckles, knocking the air from his stomach. "Sakura-san!" he gasped, foot catching a large rock and sending the boy tumbling onto his bottom.

Sakura stopped, insides twisting at the sight of blood drippling down from the corner of her teammate's mouth. "Oh, Sai!" She started, rushing to his side and taking a knee, hands fluttering uselessly. "I'm so sorry," she said softer, hands growing a characteristic green and pressing warmly against his already swelling cheek.

He sighed with relief. "It is alright, Sakura-san." The split in his lip began to reconnect. Sakura dropped her hands away, sucking her lip between her teeth.

"I don't know what came over me…"

Sai sat back, his hands extending out into the dirt behind him. He angled his paper-white face towards the sun, the leaves in the canopy overhead casting shaky shadows over his features. His breathing was rough, but whatever strain he felt did not make it to his face. "I thought it was strange that you asked me to come with you today. We do not usually train together."

"Yeah," she murmured thoughtfully, sitting next to the boy. "Usually I would come here with Naruto. But…" she trailed off, looking up to the sky as well. The sun blinded through the ceiling of foliage.

Sai nodded. "Naruto-kun has been quite engaged with young Hyuuga-san."

Sakura dropped her eyes to the hands clasped in her lap. Her knuckle had split and was bleeding lightly, but she did not make to heal herself. Instead she watched the blood flow, enraptured. "I guess I have been feeling a little isolated," she admitted, running a curious finger through the metallic substance. When she looked up, Sai was watching her fingers intently.

Why had she asked Sai here? When she ran into him outside of the hospital it had been with surprise, as if it had been years since she'd seen a friendly face. She'd been lost in thought about the silver-haired menace who seemed to be a plague upon the crop of her life. She'd all but trampled her artistic friend, literally knocking into him with her face buried in notes. Looking up at him had felt like finding an oasis in the desert, and Sakura had actually reached out and grabbed the boy to see if he was real. If Sai was surprised, he didn't show it. Instead he had stepped back from the girl and called her name, drawing her up for air.

From there to here had happened quite easily. Longing for the company of a friendly face, Sakura had accosted her teammate into joining her for a late-afternoon sparring session. The physical release on top of the company was a welcomed relief, but now Sakura felt herself slipping back into that dark place of loneliness.

What was that anger? Adrenalin-fueled and uncharacteristic.

"Did something happen?" Sai pushed a stray leaf to his mouth and blew on it lightly, creating a soft buzzing noise in the afternoon malaise. "Your demeanor reminds me of the last time we spoke about a certain enemy."

"…He attacked me." Sakura admitted, glancing over to her teammate and seeing that his eyebrows were knit together in concentration as he blew against the leaf. She thought she recognized the beat of Konoha's anthem. "Well, not me. Under genjutsu." A knot formed in her chest as she imagined admitting to him what she had seen. Sakura wanted to badly to share some of her personal hell with someone else. "But when it happened... he became... he..."

"Ah. I see. He wants to have sex with you." Sai's matter-of-fact interpretation of her words brought a pink tinge to her cheeks, but Sai did not seem flustered. He never did. One curt nod of the head was her only reply. "You seem to attract great men, Sakura-san."

"What do you mean?"

"You told me of the feelings you had for Sasuke-kun so long ago. And Naruto-kun harbored strong feelings for you for many years. Even caught the eye of Neji Hyuuga, it seems. If our last meal was any indication." Sai had dropped the leaf from his lips and taken to shredding it down to its delicate veins. She wondered if he appreciated the irony of claiming to worship beauty and then destroying every beautiful thing he touched.

"It's not like that," Sakura scoffed lightly. "Sasuke never paid attention to me, and Naruto and I are just friends." Naruto had only ever wanted approval. "As for Neji… his intentions were not romantic in the least." In fact, Neji had sought only to drag her further in to this mess.

"Are Kabuto's?"

Were they what? Romantic? She thought back over the years and the fights, the broken bones, the tears. She heard his voice in her head calling her weak, calling her strong – angling for attention. Challenging her. Dominating her. "I can't even imagine that they are," Sakura finally answered, but a part of her wondered. Kabuto reminded her more of a child burning ants than a man in love – but maybe those things weren't so different in his mind.

"I have told you before, Kabuto Yakushi is a master manipulator. He does not do anything without just cause." That was certainly true. Kabuto was the kind of man who only acted in the light when he knew he was being watched. "If he's exhibiting this kind of behavior, there is a reason."

Uncertainty marred her voice. "What kind of reason?"

Sai appeared thoughtful for a moment, the shredded lead all but forgotten in his lap. A soft summer wind blew its bones away. "He may not be here entirely against his will. If that is the case, you must discover his true motives."

Sakura mulled this over in her mind. Sai himself had told her not to get involved – not to let that snake under her skin. Now here he was demanding that she walk further into the viper's nest. What could she possibly hope to find there? How could Sakura Haruno ever hope to dance a tango of deceit and walk away unscathed? Another thought simmered in her mind, and somehow it was the most troubling one of all. "What if… he doesn't have any?"

"Well," that signature smile that never quite made it to his eyes stretched catlike over Sai's lips. "That would be almost poetic."

"Poetic?" She echoed, face dropping into an expression of skepticism.

Sai elaborated. "Two great medics, standing on separate sides of a well-defined line. One falls for the other, almost inevitably."

A loud laugh echoed through the clearing, and Sakura's sides hurt with the mix of mirth and contempt behind it. "That would never happen."

Sai held her gaze for a long while, his coal-black eyes boring in to her own. "I don't understand people well, Sakura-san." His seriousness stifled her laughter. "I have spent much time trying to learn, though. And I have found that the lines we draw in the sand can be easily blown away, when the wind blows hard enough."

That was almost conspiratory, and Sakura regarded him with cold eyes. "What are you trying to say?"

"Nothing of consequence." That smile was back, deflecting any further exploration of the mind behind it. "If you asked me here for advice, I have already told you. Only discovering Kabuto's true motives will free your mind from that prison you both inhabit."

* * *

xxx

* * *

Sakura stood stiffly outside of Kabuto's cell, no guards, no Ibiki. Just her and the cold rusted steel, and on the other side of it – him. She felt almost empty inside, mind still rattling from the early morning summons to the Godaime's office. There her mentor had informed her of this manipulator's ridiculous demands; his dangling of their most sought after intelligence in return for time alone with her. _Ridiculous._ As if it wasn't an obvious and desperate ploy. As if they could ever trust information _he_ had given.

As if they could refuse.

Anything that could be gleaned from this man represented momentous strategic value in the battle to repel the Sound's encroachment and terrorization, to undo the pain and suffering Orochimaru had brought not just her, but her people. How could she refuse to entertain Kabuto's miserable tricks when she had so thoroughly ensured his inability to follow them through with any meaningful rebuttal?

And so here she stood, entertaining this man's demands.

Sakura's fingers ghosted over the thin layer of parchment decorated with illusionary seals meant to block Kabuto's view of the small stone room outside his cell, and as per his request she plucked them off of the bars with surprising ease. The paper was rough to the touch. As the guise fell the man inside the cage shifted almost unperceptively, as if he had spent much time preparing to be startled and almost managed to pull-off apathetic. He turned his head lazily to regard the girl across the bars.

She thought she saw a smile on his lips. "Sakura," he called her name hospitably, extending an arm as if to usher her into a lavish room and not a damp cell. "I'm pleased you've decided to come."

"You didn't give me much choice," she spoke across to him, still rooted in place.

They regarded each other in silence for a moment, before Kabuto slithered to a stand. His eyes shifted over her shoulder. "I trust you've honored your end of the agreement?"

Sakura wrinkled her nose. "Seal's off. Guards are outside the room, so you'll have your privacy. _I'm_ here."

"Excellent. Please, come in."

She glared at the wrap of gauze around his index finger, mind flashing to the memory of his virtual assault on her. His fingers on her neck. The broken finger was a reminder not only that he was incapable of bringing any real destruction down upon her, but also that this was real. The gate clicked open with a metallic clang, and she cast a hesitant look at the room behind her, beyond which a body of five ANBU waited for even the slightest sound of distress. Beyond which was a life free of intrigue and distress. Freedom. Sakura stepped through the bars with a heavy sigh, sliding the gate closed behind her. No point in locking it.

Now that she stood face-to-face with Kabuto, she missed the barrier between them. They hadn't been alone like this since the hospital, and she felt almost wistful towards that time. It had been… simpler.

"Well, you wanted to talk." Sakura felt her voice come out less powerfully than she intended, and she followed up with more strength. "So talk. Where is Orochimaru hiding? What has he been planning?"

Kabuto's grin reached his eyes. "Jumping right in, are we?" He chuckled, stepping back and sitting at the edge of his cot. "I had hoped you would indulge me a little longer."

"More demands?" She scoffed.

"More of a request, really." Kabuto's hands were raised disarmingly. "I have been cooped up here so long, I thought maybe you could be my bridge to the outside world."

"…Your bridge?"

"Tea, Sakura. I wondered if we might have tea while we spoke."

She stared at him incredulously. "Tea?" She echoed, and then added almost dumbly, "I don't have any tea." Sakura slapped herself mentally.

"Maybe your little ANBU detail could scare something up?"

And so they did. A shoddy wooden table not more than two feet high brought from another cell, and tea from the guard's station. A cracked teapot atop a small portable burner, complete with decorations of her namesake's flower and long, spindling leaves. It was absurdly elegant against the background of his packed-dirt cell walls and thankfully emptied bucket in the corner.

Kabuto lowered himself to his knees and gestured for her to join him once the whistle began to blow.

Sakura sat across from him uncomfortably, watching as the silver-haired man poured steaming amber liquid into the porcelain cup in front of her. When it was full he leaned back on his haunches, delicately placing the teapot onto the makeshift table between them and regarding her with a smile that was more disturbing than pleasant. This entire scene was disturbing – the two of them sharing tea in the low light of his prison cell made for a comical juxtaposition from their previous circumstances. Sakura reached out and held the warm cup.

"I'm glad you decided to come, Sakura-san," Kabuto began, bringing his own tea to his lips and taking a generous sip. "I was hoping we could play a game."

She looked out the gate, now stripped of its seal. "…A game?" she repeated, trying to keep her voice steady. Curious.

Kabuto set his cup down.

"Three questions each. No lies. Ask me whatever you want, and I will answer honestly. In return, you do me the same honor. If you lie, the game is over… and you'll never bring precious Sasuke Uchiha home."

Of course he wanted to play a game – that's what he'd been doing this whole time. But why this exchange? What was it he hoped to learn from her? How could she tell him the truth when she had no guarantee of return? Sakura voiced these questions with her hands clasped around the teacup; its heat radiated into her palms and settled deep in her stomach, a pleasant feeling.

"I suppose you'd just have to take a little leap of faith," he responded to her fears. "Or, we could just sit here and have tea. You never did tell me what you got from the _Nichomachean Ethics_."

She laughed softly in the uncomfortable atmosphere. "I guess anything is better than that. I'll bite," the cup made a dull sound against the rough wood as she set it down. Sakura leaned forward, placing her weight delicately on her elbow across the table. "Who goes first?"

Kabuto had a purely theatrical grin as he straightened up. "You are my guest. I insist."

It's not like she had training for this. A few pointers from Ibiki on the road here, talking points. Questions of strategic value. All that seemed to fly out of her head as she stared at Kabuto. He wet his lips after taking a sip of tea and held her eyes. "Okay," she asked the first question that popped into her mind. "Where is Orochimaru?"

"I don't know."

Sakura closed her eyes in frustration. "If you're not going to take this seriously…"

"I am taking it seriously," he interrupted. "I don't know where he is. I could make a few educated guesses, but the last time I knew his location was at the base northeast of the Laughing Forest. You know, the one where you caught me." Kabuto deadpanned. "I'm assuming you didn't find him there if you're asking me now."

She took a long sip of tea, staring at him over the cup. "What should I be asking?" she quipped, mouth stern at the lip of the cup.

Kabuto shifted his weight. "Is that your next question?"

Sakura started, and paused. "This isn't going to be that kind of game, is it?"

He chuckled. "No."

"Okay," Sakura breathed. "Tell me these educated guesses."

Eyes lit up, Kabuto set his cup down. "That's better. Well, Orochimaru-sama had been moving strongholds quite frequently." He paused, and Sakura urged him to elaborate with a slight incline of the head. "We were headed east when the shinobi of the Fire stumbled upon our location. _Dumb luck_ ," he sneered.

"Careful planning," Sakura corrected.

Was it her imagination, or did she catch a slight roll of his eyes? "We were making our way out of the Land of Fire at that point. My best guess? Sand."

Sakura furrowed her brow. "Suna?"

"Is that your next question?" He asked jokingly, but Sakura didn't acknowledge the joke.

"Sasuke…" she breathed, suddenly enraptured at the idea of receiving true knowledge. "Is Sasuke with him?"

Kabuto was shaking his head, more to himself than for her sake. "Always Sasuke." His cup was empty, but he still gripped it in his good hand. "Here I thought you might actually want to make progress. _No_. I wouldn't imagine they're together." Sarcasm dripped from his voice, and Sakura wasn't sure how exactly to respond to it. Was he angry that she wanted to know about her lost friend? Why would he even be surprised by that? Her haughty scoff was curbed by his continued speech, "Sasuke moves as an independent agent. He could be anywhere."

She forgot her previous train of thought, instead gripping on to this shred of information. "So Sasuke is still… himself?"

"Now, now." Kabuto shook a finger at her, "Your turn is over."

So soon? What had she even learned? Orochimaru _might_ be in the east? Sasuke _probably_ wasn't with him?

"May I go now?" he asked cordially, moving to pour another cup of tea.

Sakura nodded hesitantly.

"Good," he breathed, taking a moment to breathe deeply from the mouth of the cup. He seemed quite soothed, and thoughtful. "Is the seal you used to suppress my chakra a derivative from the one designed by the Fourth Hokage in order to seal the Kyuubi?"

Sakura stared at him for a full minute, not even reacting when he made to fill her drink. Was there any harm in answering honestly? She hesitated, watching the cup fill. "It was my inspiration," she answered, settling for something which was not untrue and yet still answered his question. Not unlike he had done. Two could play this game, indeed.

Kabuto took her answer with apparent mirth. "I thought so," he looked almost wistful. "Truly a genius technique," the man praised, "I had thought about refashioning the idea myself in the past- of course," a small chuckle clucked in his throat, "I never had quite as much luck realizing the vision."

A dark expression passed over her features. "And how many lives did your vision cost?"

"None," Kabuto replied. "Although there were a few disfigurements."

Sakura recoiled visibly, prompting Kabuto's next question. "Can you really begrudge me for doing exactly what you did to me? You only had better results."

Was he referring to her untested application of the seal to his person? That was hardly the same thing. "I did that to save your life," she rebuked, anger slipping into her words.

Suddenly it felt as if she had walked right in to a trap, if the glint in Kabuto's eye was any indication. "And why would you want to save my life?"

Sakura stuttered. Without thinking she quipped, "Is that your next question?"

A brow piqued, Kabuto's slips stretched into an indiscernible smile. "Would you rather I ask something else?"

She started to stutter, before catching herself. "It's my job…" she started, lip sucking in-between her teeth. "…As a medic. I have a code of honor. I'm one of the _good_ guys."

"I told you not to lie," he balked.

"I'm not lying!" she insisted, teacup forgotten. "I believe that it's wrong to needlessly sacrifice life. You _know_ that about me."

Fire jumped to her cheeks as soon as those last words left her mouth. The certainty with which she spoke about his understanding of her character left her feeling vulnerable. It felt as if she had just unwittingly admitted that there _was_ some kind of a relationship between them. But why should she assume he knew what it was she really thought? Because they'd spent the years of her youth fighting viciously against one another? Because they'd shared a few moments of intelligent discourse? Those things didn't mean that he _knew_ her.

Kabuto didn't seem to notice her discomfort. "I don't think that's the whole story, Sakura."

And then there was anger. "You told me to answer your questions honestly. I am. Don't rebuke me for not giving you the answer you wanted. I'm not like you, Kabuto. I don't.."

She trailed off, looking away.

"What? You don't what?"

Without thinking she blurted, "I don't get off on this like you do."

As it was said, it could not be unsaid. Sakura stood hurriedly, bumping the table in her ascent. Tea spilled from the full rim of her cup. "You've had your three questions – game's over." She was moving towards the cell door when she felt a small tug on the sleeve of her red Haruno shirt. She turned back to glare at him.

"Come again tomorrow," Kabuto said, his voice almost a whisper. His demeanor threw her off – lean, excited. "We can play again."

Sakura stared at him for a long while, unblinking. Finally, "We're not doing this three-question bullshit. One for one, until we're done."

A smile was her response. "That could take a very long time," saccharine.

Sakura pulled her arm away from Kabuto's grip. A self-deprecating laugh bubbled low in her throat. "I'll bring the tea."

XXX


	10. Chapter 9

**Strange Terrain:**

Chapter 9.

 **Author's Note:**

Hey look! Another Chapter. I'm sorry for the slow burn, guys. But I promise things are going to be getting hotter and heavier from this point on. It is difficult to write a romance between two enemies ;) Thanks for the reviews, and please keep the support coming. I appreciate you all!

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XXX

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Here she sat again, staring into a swirling cup of tea as Kabuto poured amber liquid into her glass with the skill of a geisha. His wrists seemed delicate yet strong, his skin almost matching the color of the porcelain. Sakura stared hard at his face in the candlelight, trying to discern what thoughts brewed behind that mask of antipathy.

After their last meeting she had spent the entire day with Ibiki, sharing the information she had gleamed and giving him a play-by-play of their interaction. He drilled her on interrogation techniques, emphasizing the importance of not allowing Kabuto to direct the conversation. She was to be unrelenting in her pursuit of the knowledge this man kept, and no distraction could be allotted. Ibiki seemed to believe that Kabuto's demand for an exchange of questions was meant merely to confuse her from seeking any information of real importance, as well as an attempt to have her shed some kind of secret which might be valuable to him later on. What he could be looking for was anyone's guess at this point, but Ibiki continued to emphasize the importance of making their prisoner feel as if she were answering his questions while only providing the most limited detail.

Sakura had a list in her mind of all the talking points Ibiki demanded she cover, and she went over it as Kabuto poured his own cup.

When the teapot once again rested on its portable burner, and Kabuto had settled himself back into a regal sitting position, she spoke. "My turn. You said you believe Orochimaru may be making his way towards Suna. Why has he decided to leave the Land of Fire?"

That was the first point Ibiki demanded. He insisted she not become distracted with Sasuke, and only pursue information which might help to locate and eradicate Orochimaru.

Kabuto did not seem surprised by her question. If anything, he appeared pleased that the game had become that much more complicated. After a long sip of tea he glanced at her. "Not Suna. The Sand. Certain events have occurred which required his attention outside of the Land of Fire."

Certain events? Sakura schooled her features into a mask of impassivity. "What events?"

A click of the tongue was her only answer. "It's my turn now, Sakura." She hated the way he refused to use a formality with her name. There was nothing casual about their relationship. "How many days has it been since I was brought to the correctional facility?"

"Twelve," she answered without thinking. Better to be done with his questions as soon as possible, and get back to her own. "Now tell me, what events?"

Kabuto did not answer though. He looked thoughtfully into his tea, lips in a thin line. "What a relief," he said finally, shaking a stray strand of silver hair from his eyes. "I had worried I'd been here so much longer. That damn Ibiki and his mind games. Good."

Good? What did he mean by good? Sakura almost asked him, but stopped herself. No distractions. She repeated her question, but in the back of her mind she wondered what he could be waiting for. Rescue? It seemed unlikely that he would have a date planned for escape, considering the sudden and violent nature of his capture. But the thought made her uneasy, and she decided to pursue it at a later point in the conversation. For now she must focus on the target.

"Fine, fine." Kabuto spoke as if a chastised child, thinking she was no fun indeed. "I mentioned before that your precious Sasuke-kun moves independently form Orochimaru. It seems he has been moving a little too independently as of late."

Sasuke… Her heart ached at the thought of him. If he was being pursued by Orochimaru, if he was on the run…

That made their entire mission so much more vital. Was it possible her long-lost friend was turning his back on the monster he'd become? Sakura had to shake her head, clearing it of thoughts of her friend. Pursue the target.

She waited impatiently for Kabuto to ask his next question, but the minutes rolled on with not a word between them. Finally he spoke, "Sakura, do you remember the day you captured me?"

"Yes," again, the answer was automatic. She began to ask her next question, but was silenced by a raised hand on Kabuto's part.

"You remember everything that happened? Are you sure?"

Sakura hesitated. The memory drew to the surface of her mind – receiving the intel from ANBU black-ops as to a possible location for Orochimaru, traveling with her small scout team of five. Naruto's smiling face glancing back at her as the trees whizzed by. She remembered when they arrived and broke through the illusionary jutsu meant to hide the stronghold, only to find an empty clearing in its stead. She remembered the sound of kunai flying through the foliage as they were attacked. Naruto bombarded by at least eight Sound-nin; everyone splitting off into separate fights. The distance they'd covered. She remembered when Kabuto had stepped out of the clearing, just when she'd put down her third Sound-nin.

She remembered feeling like they were dancing for hours, brutal blows exchanged between them. She remembered his weight between her thighs – but after that, blackness. "…No," she finally answered, looking up uncomfortably. "I was unconscious for maybe, forty-five seconds." Nothing too serious in a medic's book, but why did he seem so curious?

"I remember," Kabuto mused, a slight smile on his lips. "I remember exactly what choking the life out of you felt like."

Sakura's stomach turned and she made a sound of protest, but Kabuto continued speaking. "I remember being overcome with a desire to taste your final moment. Don't you ever wonder why Naruto was so violent when he found us?"

There was no answer to that question. She had merely assumed the sight of Kabuto's assault on her person had sent the Kyuubi into an unfathomable rage. "What are you getting at?" she finally relented through gritted teeth.

Kabuto shrugged. "I'm merely suggesting that that little dream Ibiki had you cook up – the one we both enjoyed _so_ much – might not have been the first time."

Sakura was speechless, frozen in place.

This had to be that distractionary technique Ibiki had so warned her about. Still, she could see the sincerity behind his eyes, in the way they flickered between her own gaze and down towards her mouth. She felt the untapped memory on her lips.

Persevere. She could almost hear Ibiki reminding her to keep her head above the tumult of confusion; even as the walls pressed in against her, she reached out with her mind and grasped on to the one straw of stability she could find in all of this. Sasuke – the memory which could always bring her back from the edge. Her drive to rescue him had morphed from the administrations of a concerned friend and into an obsession, a force of momentum behind her. "Is Sasuke on the run from Orochimaru?" she asked, disappointed in the hopeful lilt of her voice.

Kabuto looked displeased. He broke his gaze away from hers and made a sound of annoyance, and Sakura felt the air return to her lungs in a grateful rush. Ibiki had warned her to keep her questions away from Sasuke, but more importantly than that she needed to keep Kabuto's questions away from her. It seemed to work, and he answered curtly. "No."

"No explanation? You didn't seem to want to shut up a minute ago." Sakura kept her voice cool and detached, channeling Sai.

He didn't bite. "If you kiss me again, I might consider it."

Sakura's response was quick and vengeful, shaking hand slamming down onto the rotten wood of their make-shift table and arching to smack the small cup in front of her to the ground. "I've _never_ kissed you," she hissed.

Porcelain shattered across the floor, a hundred tiny white shards glinting in the candlelight like spilled milk. Sakura swatted at the teapot next, fury boiling in the back of her throat. It was heavy with bubbling water, and when it crashed into the wall Kabuto raised an arm to shield his face from the splattered liquid. "I am so sick of you not answering my questions, Kabuto," her voice was low and menacing, barely above a whisper. She was sick of his constant redirection, his boorish questions, and this fucking tea. The girl made to smack his own delicate cup across the room, but Kabuto grabbed her arm roughly mid-swing and halted her. He hissed with the exertion of his broken finger, but still held on with a grip like stone. A forceful tug pulled her across the table, until their faces were mere inches apart.

"Then maybe you should try asking different questions."

Anger, thick as lightening, bolted through her chest. Sakura ripped her arm away and with a powerful glowing fist made to slap him across the face. He bolted back, the wooden table between them faltering and tipping over to the ground with a loud thunk. The door to the observation room had already swung open and her ANBU detail were swarming in, but Sakura could not stop herself. She kicked the table aside and advanced on Kabuto.

He seemed almost pleased with her outburst, with how thoroughly they had not accomplished anything. When she grabbed him by the shirt he did little to resist, like a rag-doll in her hands. "Then what am I supposed to be asking?" she questioned through gritted teeth; behind her the cell door swung open. Kabuto's calloused hands ghosted over the nape of her neck as they struggled, and the sensation brought an unwanted shudder down her spine.

"Instead of focusing on Orochimaru andSasuke, you might do well to learn more aboutme."

The ANBU were on them now. Strong hands gripped her by the shoulder and pulled back – Sakura landed with a graceful smack against the broad chest of one of her detail. She glanced up angrily, eyeing the fox-mask behind which she knew was Neji Hyuuga's face. He didn't move away, still holding her by the shoulders roughly against his body. The rest of the group had swarmed Kabuto and were attempting to restrain him, but Kabuto fought back angrily.

She watched in one swift movement as Kabuto made to gut-punch one of the ANBU – the one in the snake mask – and his hand was caught swiftly and held awkwardly in the air. Amidst the commotion Sakura was sure she was the only one who saw the snake-masked man raise his fist high in the air to strike Kabuto and then stop hesitantly. She saw Kabuto's lips move, but couldn't hear what he had said. The ANBU dropped his hand, stepping back as Kabuto was forced to his knees by the rest of the group.

Neji was ushering her out of the cell, a gloved hand guiding from the small of her back. Sakura cast a hesitant glance over her shoulder, watching Kabuto's down-cast face amid the guards. She thought she caught a twisted smile on his lips, but couldn't be sure before he disappeared from sight as she rounded the corner out of the observation room with Neji at her side.

They stopped outside the door, no longer within hearing-range. Neji slid the fox-mask from his face, revealing cool features twisted into an expression of concern. At least as much concern as his refined features would tolerate; they were standing awfully close, she could feel the warm breath coming from his lips ghosting over her cheeks. "What happened?" Sakura found herself distracted, barely hearing the words as they left his mouth. "Sakura-san," Neji called her name. She started and looked up at him.

"He just-" She didn't want to tell him. She was sick of talking to people. "He made me angry."

Neji's face relaxed. "When we heard the glass shatter, I was sure…" his shoulders dropped a few inches in what could only be described as relief, "I was sure he was making some kind of move."

Sakura did not know what to say. Her mind flashed back to Sai, and what he had said about great men finding something of value within her. "What do you mean..?" she fished, balling a fist up against her chest defensively.

He was still standing so close – so protectively. "You aren't the only one who isn't comfortable with this arrangement. Forcing us to stay out here… just waiting for something to happen." Neji finally stalked away, glancing around the door into the observation room. "I'm supposed to be protecting you, and not just you. Everyone. But here I am standing by while he gets whatever he wants and we're forced to play along."

It was nice to know she wasn't the only one experiencing these feelings of frustration. Still, it seemed odd that Neji was so upset. He wasn't the one in the room.

It dawned on Sakura that that was exactly where his ire was coming from. That he wanted to be the person in the room, and not the one in the background. Sakura sorely wished they could trade places – Kabuto would never flummox Neji the way he was trying to do with her. There would be no air of tension in his every word; he'd just break and spill his secrets, or rot in that cell forever. And of course that was why she was the one in the room. For whatever reason, she'd given him something to hold on to.

"Oh, Neji," she breathed wantonly. "Everything's so messed up now."

He returned to her side, placing an awkward yet comforting palm on her shoulder. It was warm. "You have done well, Sakura-san. I am at a loss to name another shinobi of the Leaf who could withstand such close proximity to that man and come out not only unscathed, but with valuable information."

It felt good to hear him say so, even if Sakura did not believe those words. She didn't feel unscathed. Still… he was right about the intelligence. A spark of excitement shot in her chest; "He did tell me something today," she spoke with rushed and enthusiastic words. "He believes Orochimaru's encroachment into the Sand is in pursuit of Sasuke."

"Of Sasuke?" Neji echoed her words, a tone of wonder in his voice. "Trouble in paradise?"

Sakura closed her eyes, suddenly frustrated. He'd riled her up so much that she'd been unable to pursue the topic further, and with a sound of disappointment she sighed. "I don't know. He wouldn't tell me."

Neji regarded her with bewildered eyes. "…Still, this is amazing. We have an idea of where Orochimaru is going, and we know that – at least for the moment being – Sasuke is not with him." She smiled at the thought, a feeling of satisfaction in her belly. "Sakura," Neji spoke, and he did not add an honorific to her name. She didn't mention it. "I'm amazed," and suddenly he felt closer than was appropriate, even though he had not moved an inch. "Truly, to have garnered so much in so little time. Maybe the interrogation squadron of the ANBU black-ops is in need of a new member."

Being complemented so fully by Neji Hyuuga was a foreign concept, but a welcomed one. She might have beamed, if it wasn't for the thought nagging in the back of her mind and telling her that it was not skill which had brought her this information, but Kabuto's sick fascination with her. And she had done little to deserve that.

"What is it?" Neji asked, sensing her sudden discomfort.

Sakura let her eyes fall, picking at the dead skin at the end of her fingertips. "I know I have to go back in there again, and I want to find out more. I want to do something of use – finally." She hesitated, feeling a prickle in her nose. "I just never wanted it to be like this."

And then the strangest thing happened: Neji Hyuuga leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her, lean but strong. She stiffened at the contact, before relaxing into it. Her face fell into the folds of his protective vest, and the material was rough against her skin. She took a deep breath to calm herself, her lungs filling with the scent of sandalwood. It was pleasant, and yet it sparked a different kind of memory in her mind. The smell of sterility, with a hint of musk beneath. The smell of another man with whom she'd been forced into such intimate conditions.

Why would she be thinking of that now?

The two broke apart stiffly, and Sakura thanked him for his show of compassion with a small sniff. Neji was already sliding the fox-mask back into place, obscuring his expression. "Indeed," he answered stoically, gesturing to the hall behind them. "Shall we?"

They left together in stilted silence.

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XXX

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That night Sakura sat at the pile of notes at her coffee table, legs folded neatly beneath herself and a steaming cup of tea perched perilously atop a delicately balanced mountain of books. She reached for it distractedly, fingertips brushing the rim with just a little too much force. The cup faltered, tipped, and spilled down the stack of books. Sakura cursed loudly, scrambling to her feet and quickly scooping up the cup.

The hot water burned her fingers, and she flicked them roughly. Setting the cup aside, careful not to mar her paperwork with the soaked rim, Sakura situated herself at the edge of her reading materials. She sighed angrily as she picked up the first book and thumbed the spine. A hideous stain spread over the soft leather, the pages beneath tan from the offensive liquid.

Still, a small smile reached her lips as she flipped through the pages. This had been one of the books she'd consulted when first formulating the idea for the sealing technique she had used on Kabuto. Had she really forgotten to return it to the research library? She glanced at the complicated diagrams of the human skeletal structure inked on the pages.

She must not have returned any of them.

Sakura made to examine the rest of the books in the pile, and after a moment she paused in confusion. One of the books was missing – the extensive characterization of the predecessor justsu's required to complete the Kyuubi's chakra seal. It was an entire history of chakra seals, and their many uses and documented applications.

She didn't remember returning it.

Sakura sat back on her haunches, worrying her lip. She dismissed the notion, assuming the book must be somewhere in her room. She'd have to make a mental note to return those damn books. It'd be a blessing if she could talk her way out of any late fees. Sakura returned to her post at the coffee table, rearranging the papers before her before letting out a soft breath of air. She'd been working on her report dealing with the day's previous events – her time with Kabuto.

She had been doing her best to recall in detail the conversation they had shared. Her pin scratched the paper in uniform movements as she described the questions he'd asked, falling back on decorum when the conversation became too… personal. There was no need for her superiors to know about every little thing that transpired between the two, and instead she chose to focus on the intelligence he had offered during their short time. She added some conjecture about the meaning behind his revelation about Sasuke fleeing to the Sand. It was well-known there had been Akatsuki activity in that region, and Sakura felt sure that that had something to do with whatever her previous teammate and his unfortunate mentor were doing.

Sakura paused thoughtfully. She glanced back to the now empty cup at the edge of her paperwork – deft fingers reached out to grasp it.

Something Kabuto had asked her before sprang to mind. The first question he had asked had been in reference to her sealing technique – specifically, whether or not she had been inspired by the Fourth Hokage in her recreation. At the time she had brushed off the question as something obvious, but now it gave her pause. The very book she was missing…

The man in the snake-mask flashed before her eyes. His hesitance to strike Kabuto, his appearance around every corner. Her mouth opened in a silent scream, the realization striking her like lightening.

Of course. Had he ever even seemed surprised at her ability to render his chakra completely inaccessible? Sakura's pen dropped to the paper forgotten. She stood shakily, until the adrenalin caught up to her and she was sprinting to the door and wrenching it open. Sakura stopped with a foot out the door, the cold night air bringing prickles to her skin. Where would she go at this time? Who could she come to?

Sakura stood in the doorway for a long while, staring out into the darkness. Suddenly she felt very afraid, realizing that her home was not as safe as she had once imagined. Someone was here, walking her very streets. The man in the snake mask. The girl quickly retreated into her apartment, slamming the door shut and swiping the chain for an added ounce of security.

It did little to calm her. An unshakable chill clung to her skin, penetrating deep into her bones.

Maybe she was being hasty. A missing book, a rogue question, a diligent ANBU guard. These things did not necessarily require a double-agent. But Kabuto was notorious for his network of spies. She grit her teeth, fingernails biting into her palm. Forcing herself to calm, Sakura tread across the floor and entered her bedroom. She couldn't think about this right now – there was nothing she could do right now. In the morning she would report directly to Tsunade, and then she would meet with him. If there was any truth to this terrifying idea, she would find it and root the rat out before any more damage could be done.

The light to her room switched on beneath her fingers. She looked around with a hint of paranoia, but the air was still and her things undisturbed. Sakura forced her mind to settle, reminding herself that she had no way of knowing if someone had stolen that book. If someone had been in her apartment.

Sakura pulled her sleep shirt over her head, discarding it at the end of her bed. Her shorts followed, bunching up at her feet as she stepped out of them. The girl strode across her room to the bathroom, stepping onto the cool tile with a hiss. A blind hand fumbled in her shower and turned the knob, the sound of water rushing from the faucet filling the small room. In just a few moments her bathroom was filled with steam, and Sakura slipped out of her undergarments and tossed them into the hamper. She gingerly touched the water, hissed in pain, adjusted it just a little, and hopped inside.

The cascade of warm water ran over her naked body in rivulets, refreshing. She ducked her head back under the stream, running weary hands through her soaked hair. A bit of shampoo into her palm and she was lathering away, the scent of berries filling the little shower. Sakura ran a bar of soap over the straight lines of her hips and over the small bump of her chest. She touched her neck gingerly. The bruises from her initial encounter with Kabuto had long since healed, but she traced the place where she knew they once stood.

Sakura took a long shower – and once she was all clean she stood there for many more minutes. The hot water beating down on her back was so soothing; she could hardly bear to leave. It was fifteen minutes before she finished, and she stood in front of her fogged mirror staring at the indiscernible blob that moved as she did.

A quick hand wiped the steam away, and Sakura found herself looking into her own eyes. They were tired, but she didn't feel afraid anymore. She wet a toothbrush under the tap and stuck it into her mouth, grasping for a deep-green towel and wrapping it around herself. Sliding the door open to her room, Sakura stopped cold.

It was dark, and she had left the light on.

Cool wind ruffled her towel. The window hadn't been open. Sakura took a step back into the bathroom, gripping her towel tightly, her toothbrush forgotten at the edge of her mouth. She called out hesitantly, "Hwe'wo?" The toothbrush distorted her words almost comically.

Steeling herself, Sakura made to sprint across the room. She smacked against the window, shaking fingers gripping the sill and slamming it closed. Maybe they were gone. Maybe Naruto was here playing a joke.

Maybe it wasn't the man in the snake mask.

Just as she let the window go a pair of angry hands gripped her from behind, whirling her through the air and tossing her on to the bed. Sakura let out a shriek, but those furious hands found their way to her mouth and pressed down, hard. She screamed against the offending appendage, biting forward indignantly. The taste of blood filled her mouth, and the hand jerked away instinctively. In her rush to get away the towel unraveled, and Sakura hurled herself naked from the bed and on to the floor.

The carpet burned her knees as she slid across it. She waited for a strike to come from behind, too frightened to even feel shame, but it never came. Sakura didn't take the time to question it. She moved as quickly as she could across the floor, grasping wildly for the wall and using it to hoist herself up. She flipped around angrily, back pressed solidly against the wall, her free arm wrapped protectively across her breast.

A man stood across the room, silhouetted against the moonlight pouring in from her window. The curtains were still pushed aside. He made to advance, but she barked out desperately. "Stop!"

Her voice was small, like the sound a critter makes when it knows it's helplessly outmatched. Against all logic or reason, the man stopped. She didn't have time to wonder why, reaching out with her other hand to grope blindly across the wall in search of her dresser. A kunai waited in the top drawer.

"You're a spy for the Sound," she found herself saying. She took a small step to the left, prompting the man to continue his approach. Throwing herself towards the dresser, the girl felt her hand just brush the smooth wood as another warm body collided into her own. They both fell to the floor, struggling wildly. Sakura willed chakra into her palms, and pushed with as much might as she could muster at the man's body. He flew away from her, hurtling against the wall wildly and crumbling to the floor.

She was over him in a second, modesty abandoned as she raised a glowing fist over her head to finish it.

"Sakura- wait!"

The chakra faded from her hand immediately, along with all of the blood in her face. In the moonlight she saw the face of her would-be attacker – of the presumed spy from the Sound.

It wasn't an unfamiliar face that looked up at her. It was Kabuto.


	11. Chapter 10

**Strange Terrain:**

Chapter 10.

 **Author's Note:**

I'm so excited to have made it to this point in the story. I hope everyone's been enjoying it so far – please let me know if things are moving too slow or too fast. Thank you all for your continued support, and please, review!

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XXX

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"Kabuto?!"

Sakura's voice came out in a shocked screech, relief crushing through her chest. She stared in surprise at his face in the moonlight, before realizing her compromised position and gasping out, "Oh! My god!" Desperate hands flew to her breasts, covering them protectively. Her knees crossed and she hunched to hide herself from his view. A moment later her mind caught up to what was happening.

"Oh, my god!"

Sakura kicked a foot out, connecting solidly with his ribs. Kabuto grunted, rolling over on to his side and crumbling. His black tunic pooled around him.

"What are you doing here?!" She was yelling, backing away from the man in the darkness. "How are you here?!"

Kabuto lifted himself on weak arms, struggling to stand. Instinct took over, and Sakura ran forward to kick him again. The kunai! She made for the drawer at the top of her dresser, but Kabuto's hand snaked out and caught her leg. The girl crashed to the floor, her naked skin aching from the burn of the carpet. He held on to her leg with an iron grip, Sakura flailing her limbs wildly. "What have you done Kabuto?" She couldn't think about their position – him clawing himself up over her legs while she buckled her hips and desperately held on to her chest.

"Sakura," Kabuto's voice came out in a hushed whisper. "Calm down. I'm not here to hurt you."

Fat chance. She made to elbow him in the face, but Kabuto caught the appendage and threw it down with the full force of his weight. Sakura yelled out as he pulled the other arm away from her chest and pinned it as well.

"Calm down!" he hissed again, her body thrashing wildly beneath him. He sat solidly on her hips – immobilizing the girl.

They stopped for a moment, and Sakura looked down at her exposed body and up at Kabuto. Slick blood wet her arm where she had broken the skin of his palm, and in the moonlight she saw beads of sweat dabbling his forehead with the exertion of holding her down. The hand with the broken finger twitched with the force of his weight, and Sakura could feel the blood in her own hands pounding from the lack of circulation.

She closed her eyes, a feeling of sadness washing over her. "How many have you hurt?"

Her mind flashed to Neji. Had he been there? How was it possible that this impotent man above her had bested a full ANBU guard, crossed the entire hidden village filled with lethal shinobi, and made it into _her_ apartment?

"No one," he growled, and the weight on her wrists lessened ever-so-slightly. "If you would _calm down_ for a _second_ -"

Sakura went deathly still beneath him. "Get off of me," she whispered.

Kabuto leaned back, his posterior sharp on her naked hips. He released her wristed gingerly, hands still hovering and ready to restrain her again. Sakura wrapped her throbbing arms around her chest, casting a hesitant glance away from him. Once Kabuto was sure she did not mean to strike he lofted his body off of her own, shuddering to his feet. She lifted herself as well, gathering her knees up into her chest. The man stalked across the room on unsure feet, scooping her discarded towel from the rumbled mess of sheets on her bed and tossing it to the girl.

Accepting the small kindness, Sakura hurriedly pulled the damp cloth around herself. She struggled to her feet, standing defensively across from him. The two regarded each other, Sakura running a hand through her wild hair. Finally she spoke, voice lower than before, guarded. "How are you here?"

"I came to see you," Kabuto answered, eyes boring into her own through the moonlight.

That didn't answer the question. Sakura pulled the towel tighter around herself, casting an errant eye towards her dresser. It would be wise to pull that kunai out and subdue him, return him to the cell. Assess what damage he'd done. That menace claimed no one had been harmed, but how was that possible? Not if he had escaped from the Strict Correctional Facility.

He seemed to read her mind. "Dress, Sakura. Please." He paused, and she saw a small smile on his lips. "More for you than for me."

Kabuto made to move past her, walking towards her living room. Sakura reached out with her free hand, grabbing the loose sleeve of his tunic. "No," she started, not wanting him alone in her apartment. Not with her things – the notes, her personal belongings… the picture of a young Team Seven. It seemed almost sacrilegious. "I'm not leaving you alone for a second."

A lofted silver eyebrow was all the answer she received. Kabuto stepped away from the girl, instead standing in front of the window with his back turned toward her. He clasped his hands behind the small of his back, and once Sakura was sufficiently sure he would not jump through the panel and escape into the night, she hurried to the dresser and wrenched the top drawer open. Among her undergarments glinted the kunai in the moonlight, and she reached out to touch it. It was bitterly cold, the black steel feeling almost as though it was pushing back against her.

She moved it aside, instead grasping at a pair of simple white underwear and a thin utility bra. A quick glance behind her back, and the towel fell to the floor.

Sakura shimmied into the undergarments with lightning speed, unaware of the soft look Kabuto cast her way over his shoulder. He watched her creamy white skin in the darkness – the dimples of her lower back, the sharp corner of her shoulder-blades. He snapped his attention back out the window as she bent to open a lower drawer and remove one of her old Haruno dresses, one she had long outgrown but still used as a sleeping gown out of habit.

As an afterthought the girl swiped the kunai from her drawer and slid it into one of the tight pockets at her thigh.

Kabuto was speaking. "I'd almost forgotten how beautiful the village could be at night," he mused, a hint of longing in his voice as he stared out over the lingering lights in the surrounding cottages. "I never did belong amongst it all."

Sakura was behind him now, watching hesitantly. "And yet you've dedicated your life to destroying it."

He whirled around. "They tried to destroy me long before."

What was that supposed to mean? She knew that many years ago he had been a spy for the Village Hidden in the Leaves, and that Orochimaru had spirited him away to be a personal slave. But there wasn't much information on Kabuto during his time as a Lead shinobi – most of those files were blacked out or destroyed, due to either their sensitive nature or worse, conspiratory detail.

" _You might do well to learn more about me,"_ rang through her head, but Sakura dismissed the notion. She didn't want to know more. He didn't need to be human – humans were complicated. Humans weren't black and white.

She needed black and white, now more than ever.

"Well," Sakura started, pointedly ignoring their height difference and staring straight ahead, "What was so urgent that you had to break out of a maximum security in the center of a volcano to see me about?"

Kabuto visibly paused, looking down his nose at her. "It's not actually a volcano," he said offhandedly, glancing around uncomfortably. "Maybe we could move to… another room?"

"Why?" She blanched. Kabout glared to her tousled bed, and then to the discarded towel on the floor. His eyes raked over her body – the small Haruno dress suddenly felt much shorter than it did years before. He must have been thinking the same thing, for his eyes lingered on the exposed stretch of flesh peeking out from under the hem. Sakura cursed herself for not adding shorts to her ensemble, but she nodded in understanding. Everything about their relationship was too personal, but him being in her bedroom was an unacceptable indignity.

In truth, he shouldn't be here at all. She should grab that kunai and sink it in his shoulder right now, but she didn't. Instead the girl nodded curtly, motioning with her head to the door.

Kabuto walked in front of her, and in a moment they stood together in the living room. Her things were undisturbed, but the lights were out and the shades pulled open. Obviously he'd had a while to move around her space while she was showering. It felt like a violation.

"…So?" she asked impatiently, glancing toward her notes. They appeared untouched.

Kabuto stalked around the room, eyeing various things. He ran an absent hand over the back of her couch, another down the lavish frame of a painting her mother had gifted her many years ago of her namesake tree. "Your home is simple and clean, just like you." The man turned to her, appearing oddly relaxed. "I like it."

Did he come here just to invade her space? To make her uncomfortable? He should be halfway to Suna by now. "Get on with it," she huffed, "or I'll put you down right now and you'll wake up right back in that hole in the ground."

A look of surprise flashed across Kabuto's sunken features, followed by one of anger. He hulked forward towards her until they were only a foot apart, and even without his chakra the man was imposing. "I came here as a favor to _you_ ," he spit, amicable demeanor dissipating. "To warn you."

"Warn me about what?" she asked, that strange sterile smell that followed him everywhere intermixing with her own flowery scent from the soaps.

He looked away, unconsciously leaning back. "I haven't been honest with you," a pause, "about Sasuke."

The breath caught in her throat, but she didn't say anything.

"I know where he is."

Green eyes widening, Sakura took a small and desperate step forward. Her hands drew up and grasped him by the black material of his shirt. "Where?" She gasped, and then with more force, "Where?!"

Kabuto's hands gripped her shoulders, balancing her. Pushing her away from his body. "I can't tell you, I'm not going to."

"Then why come here at all?" Her grasp on his tunic turned violent, twisting the material between her fingers. Something hot was boiling in the back of her throat, but Sakura swallowed it down. This was a ploy – dangling Sasuke in front of her like some kind of fruit. It was cruel even for him.

Kabuto's own grip strengthened. "I wanted to say I'm sorry – for stuff I haven't done yet." He closed the last few inches between them, and hot breath spilled over her ear. "Things will shortly get completely out of hand."

A shudder shot down her spine, and Sakura's arms fell to her side. Kabuto was all but embracing her, but only his words were present in her mind. What did he mean to do? What had he already done? The cool metal of the kunai had warmed against her thigh, and now she reached into her pocket and brandished it. In a swift movement she'd slashed it forward between them, cutting the thin fabric of his top and catching the sight of blood in the moonlight. The two broke apart only slightly, Kabuto hissing angrily and slapping her hand away.

The kunai slipped from her grip, clattering across the wooden floor forgotten. Kabuto hurled her by the shoulders, flinging the girls light body across the room where she landed solidly against the couch. A breath of air was forced from her lungs in the impact, but Sakura had little time to respond as Kabuto pounced on top of her and grasped her squarely by the wrists.

"Why can't you ever just cooperate?"

And then he leaned forward and crashed his mouth against her own.

It was shock which held her body immobile, for the grip of his hands had weakened and his weight did little to keep her rooted there. She could have dislodged him, but the passion with which Kabuto's mouth ground into her own stole her breath away more than any bodily injury ever could.

Finally, logic caught up to her.

Sakura shoved the man away from her, cheeks burning a hideous red in the darkness. She felt the bruise forming on her lips, and in anger she pushed against him. Kabuto caught her arms easily, using the leverage to thrust her against the back of the couch.

He crashed his lips down against hers again, his bare chest pressed roughly against her through the hole in his tunic, staining her Haruno dress an even deeper shade of red. She let her wrists fall limp, and Kabuto discarded them as he gripped a fistful of hair at the nape of her neck. A slight tug exposed the girl's throat – she felt his breath ghosting over the skin there. With free hands Sakura traced the lines of his sides… she didn't like feeling him like this, so close. So vulnerable. He felt thinner than she remembered him being at the hospital, and amidst the feelings anger and exploitation there was some insane sense of remorse.

Her fingers found his belly, and with a small burst of chakra Kabuto's muscles stiffened perceptively. He fell back onto the cushions; in a moment Sakura was on top of him. With a hand placed flat against his abdomen – admittedly a pleasant feeling – she leaned forward and glared into his eyes.

"I haven't told you everything about this seal."

"Tell me, then," Kabuto said breathlessly. His chest rose and fell in measured gasps, the muscle beneath his skin diminished but still stone hard beneath that tunic. Sakura glared down, realizing her own breath was coming in huffs. She slid the black material up until it was bunched below his neck, the red gash on his chest shining in the dim light. A thin vine of blood dribbled down his side, but Sakura paid it no mind. Once again she placed a flat palm against his navel.

Soft green light illuminated the two's features as Sakura poured a delicate mix of her own chakra into his skin. Swirling black lines appeared beneath her fingertips, reminiscent of the one which adorned Naruto Uzumaki. Kabuto watched thoughtfully, breaths still coming raggedly.

"Sealing your chakra isn't the only point of this jutsu," she started, brows furrowed together in frustration. "That's just the beginning."

Another wisp of chakra flowed from her fingers, and Kabuto shifted in discomfort beneath her. "You see, what really makes this jutsu unique is its specific design for use against foreign enemies." She pressed her palm down harder against his lines of his abdomen, "If I just wanted to seal your chakra, I wouldn't need a new technique."

A sick smile twisted her lips. "What really makes this special is the kill switch."

That same smile mirrored on Kabuto's own features, and if Sakura had been looking at it, she might have seen.

"All I have to do is input my own specific key of chakras, and I can stop your heart in seconds. Different keys, different results. I can immobilize your muscles, I can control your breathing. As long as I have you like this," she pushed her weight down, drawing out an involuntary gasp from the man beneath her, "I can do whatever I want to you."

"Yes, you can," Kabuto replied, drawing her attention to his face. He was positively beaming.

Sakura snatched her hand away uncertainly, leaning back onto his hips and looking between the swirling mark on his stomach and the grin on his face. "What?" she barked, moving to jump away from his body.

Without her chakra restraining him, Kabuto reached forward and gripped her by the leg. She stilled angrily, slapping the hand away.

"I had only hoped your jutsu went this deep. It's perfect, Sakura. Worth everything."

She didn't know how to respond to that, and her inaction spurred him on. Strong hands encircled her from behind, and Kabuto sat up from the couch so that they were face-to-face. She was all but straddling him. "They're coming, Sakura," he spoke quickly, a conspiratory note to his tone. "Soon. They're coming for me."

"What do you mean?" she gasped out, ignoring the way his hands stayed softly on her hips.

Kabuto did not answer her question, instead still speaking in his low voice. "I need this technique, Sakura. If you ever want to stop Orochimaru, if you ever want to save Sasuke, you have to help me."

Sakura searched his face, looking for the truth. As usual she couldn't read him, but there was a spark of urgency in his eyes which gave the words true weight. "Help you how?"

Those hands tightened until they were almost painful. He drooped his head, the soft curl of his silvery bangs tickling her chest. A small lean forward and his forehead was pressed against her; the two sat like that for a few moments until Sakura's unsure hands traveled up his back and made to shake him. "Help you how?!" she repeated, prying him away and glaring into his eyes. "What is happening? Who is coming?"

"I won't be here much longer, Sakura. With or without you."

So that was it – an assault from the Sound. That's what was coming. That's what he was sorry for.

That's what he needed her help with?

"…You want me to help you… escape?" She asked incredulously, leaning away from him. The girl struggled to free herself from his grasp, but Kabuto held on tight. It took all of her might to wiggle away, and Sakura stumbled to her feet and away from him. She backed into the wall near the window, watching Kabuto like a cat does a snake. He stayed on the couch, reaching out as if he were wishing he still held her body.

Finally he stood from the couch, turning to face her in the dark. "You can't stop me, but you can… teach me."

Everything was spinning.

"It's no accident that I came here, Sakura."

She spread her hands out over the walls for stability. The kunai lay at her feet, and she did not even bend to grasp it. At that moment the door to her apartment splintered open in a show of powerful force. Familiar chakra filled the room – an entire squadron of ANBU rushed inside as flashes of black. Shards of wood showered her, small cuts spreading over her body.

They were on Kabuto in a second. He did not have time to scream out before he fell to the ground unconscious, sagging back to the couch as Neji Hyuuga pinched him from behind in his fox mask. It all happened so quickly; Sakura staggered forward and found herself caught in the arms of another ANBU operative. She didn't recognize this one – he wore an otter mask, and his voice was unfamiliar when he asked if she had been harmed.

Shaking her head to negative, the girl steadied herself and stepped away from the ANBU.

"What happened?" she asked, looking between Neji and the man in the otter mask.

"A spy," Neji answered stoically, hurling Kabuto's unconscious body forward. "Posing as ANBU. He incapacitated the fellow guards and released Kabuto."

Kabuto slumped onto her coffee table, sending her notes fluttering to the floor. She rushed to him, worried hands fluttering between his body and the notes.

"Why did he come to you?" questioned the man in the otter mask, watching her impassively. One of the other guards hoisted Kabuto's body up from the table and over his shoulder. "Why did he not try to escape?"

This was the moment. This was the point of no return.

Sakura glanced at the passive expression on Kabuto's face; he looked almost peaceful like this. If she told them now, Kabuto would be hidden far away and she would never see him again. Any chance at his words being true would be squandered – any chance at saving Sasuke. If she didn't tell them, she was a traitor. The worst of the worst, putting her own selfish desire to be of use above the well-being of the Village. What if he hadn't been telling the truth? What if he had?

She would never know if they took him away. The choice was made for her.

"I don't know…"


	12. Chapter 11

**Strange Terrain:**

Chapter 11.

 **Author's Note:**

Hold on everybody. Here… we… go!

* * *

XXX

* * *

The man in the snake mask was found dead in the wastelands outside of the Strict Correctional Facility. His mouth was hideously disfigured – the faux ANBU mask he wore partially fused to his face around the jaw and his eyes were yellow around the rims, wide with agony even in death. Sakura had been present at the autopsy, where almost an hour had been spent cutting the wood away from bone until the hideous remains of that gaping hole were revealed, inside of which it was assumed a false tooth had been broken and some kind of chemical agent – _cyanide perhaps?_ \- had been used to commit suicide.

No one recognized the man. Even without the partial disfigurement, Sakura doubted they would have. What they could discern from his appearance did not match the description of any missing nin in the database, and he carried no identifying materials except for a fake ANBU identification card with the name Otobi Saraku printed in neat letters. A background check revealed he had been an active ANBU member for over two years, and the rest of his 'history' had been borrowed from a fellow Leaf shinobi who had been MIA for five years now. Obviously forged, with only the most minor details provided about his 'life' in Konoho – graduated with moderate marks from the academy, passed the Chunin exams with a squad of imaginary teammates. Nothing worthy of note, just an average shinobi who had made his way into the black-ops on a transfer notice. His slipping through their fingers was an embarrassment to the ANBU; this wasn't the first time the Sound had implanted rogues into their ranks with no knowledge on the Village's part.

Sakura stepped lightly down the cobblestone streets of her village. She couldn't get that ghastly face out of her mind – that steaming pit of a mouth and those cold, dead eyes. All this time she had been right to distrust the man, and yet had not known why until it was too late. This further lended to her wariness of the ANBU as a whole: their clandestine ways were a breeding ground for dereliction.

She turned a corner, walking up a long path to the research library where she had spent much of her youth buried behind books and developing a slight dust allergy. It stood quietly at the top of a small hill, soft summer breezes lolling the long branches of blossoming trees in the courtyard and clouds casting lazy shadows over the high-arching windows. It was a large building, with great wide oak doors and red-bricked walls, and it stood a welcoming three stories high. Each floor was filled with thousands of books, some copies, some special editions. Some books restricted to only the highest access. Tsunade had given her a special access card to be used for renting out manuscripts of a delicate nature, but even Sakura did not have access to the archives hidden in the dusty subbasement where some of their most sensitive materials were kept.

The doors were heavy, but muscle-memory pried them open more than Sakura ever did. She used to think opening these great doors had been part of her physical training – that she had developed special muscles in her arms just from working her way inside. Cool air washed over her, refreshing her mind and bringing forth the memory of many a pleasant evening spent hiding from the hot summer air amidst her favorite collections.

At the front desk a woman coughed, drawing the girl's attention.

"Hello, Sakura-san," the woman spoke softly with the voice of a librarian. "It has been some time." Sakura approached the desk with stunted steps, a small but worried smile on her own lips. "I hope you've come to return some of our books," the woman continued, barely looking up over her glasses as the girl approached. She was studiously transcribing some document, and when Sakura finally reached the large wooden desk, she set her pen to the side lightly and looked up to regard the girl.

"Ah- no, actually," Sakura answered sheepishly, an uncomfortable hand finding its way to the back of her head. A mannerism she had picked up from Naruto in order to appear disarming. She cursed herself mentally, knowing that just last night she had meant to do that very task. Could anyone blame her for forgetting? "I'm here on unofficial business."

"I'm not renting you anything else until you bring those books back," the woman chided, and Sakura searched her mind for her name. Was it Elise? Risako? She couldn't remember.

No matter. "Actually, I had hoped you might give me access to your rental logs."

The event – as she was now mentally referring to it – from the night before had planted a seed of suspicion in Sakura's mind. Kabuto's unadultered fascination with her jutsu along with the realization that she was right about there being a mole in their midst had spurred the girl on the check a hunch. If one of her books was missing, and Kabuto seemed to have prescient knowledge of her technique, it followed that this mole may have been feeding him information for some time. He had said himself that his capture had been no accident, but was it possible that he had come for that very reason? To see the jutsu in action?

It was a long-shot, and proving it would be difficult even if her hunch panned out. But it was worth knowing.

A fat stack of papers was hoisted up onto the counter of the librarian's desk. "This is the last six months," she offered, not even a questioning spark in her eye.

Sakura hesitated. "Actually, I'll need at least the year."

This was going to be a bigger undertaking than she thought.

* * *

XXX

* * *

Several hours later and Sakura had made little progress. She'd been attempting to match log dates from her own rentals and those by one Otobi Saraku, but without her books to match dates the work had to be done by hand. She had a general knowledge of when she had checked out certain books, but only the months, and it wasn't without fault. Most of her research had been conducted over a year ago – an unfathomable amount of time to have neglected to make returns, and even worse for remembering exact dates. So far she had found two of her rentals, one in early August and another at the end of the month. They were her preliminary examination books, but no corresponding rentals had been made in the days following.

She delved further back in time, tired fingers tracing down the lines of neat transcriptions. The names of fellow shinobi, some she knew, some she didn't, and titles upon titles of books. She found another rental she'd made in June the year before. No Otobi. Another one in May.

Her finger stopped. That was the book which was missing.

The gears turned in her brain. She'd had that book for some time, at least six months that she remembered. The girl worried her lip, flipping forward through the pages to around the date she last remembered reading the book in her apartment. August, September, November… nothing. Her eyes scanned down the pages of the rentals in January, and stopped cold on a block of five rentals made all at once.

Otobi Saraku.

There it was, she was right. Each book corresponded to one she had checked out months previously, all except for the book which was missing from her apartment. Sakura stood abruptly, her muscles aching from the sudden movement. A spasm shot down her back, but she rolled her shoulders with little thought and practically ran to the librarian's stand with that specific date sheet in hand. She held it forward without a word, startling the woman behind the desk.

"This man – Otobi Saraku – has rented every book I have except for one. Why?"

The woman smoothed her hair, gingerly taking the paper from Sakura's fingers and adjusting her glasses to read over it. "And what book did he not check out?" she questioned, lips tight in a frown.

Sakura's mind raced for the name. " _A History of Sealing_ : _From Antiquity to the Fourth_."

The librarian clucked her tongue, setting the paper down and looking to Sakura over her glasses. "Well, considering you have yet to return that book and it is our only copy, I imagine he would have had a hard time checking it out."

Hot breath fell from Sakura's lips like a punch to the gut. Of course, that was the reason only one book was missing. The one book he couldn't get. The Sound _had_ been keeping tabs on her research – for at least six months. If this man had had access to everything she read in her preparations, it would be easy to surmise what kind of work she was doing. But why had this caught Kabuto's attention so? How did it relate back to his request that she help him escape? That she _teach him_? Sakura wondered if he had a far more nefarious use for the technique in mind – something she could only guess at. She knew he was a man who relished progress, but to go to such lengths simply to brush against her mind could not be the product of mere admiration.

There was a piece of the puzzle she was missing, and only he knew what it was.

Something sick inside her twisted and whispered the name,' _Sasuke'_. She buried it down, thanking the librarian for her time and promising to return the books shortly. With hurried steps she raced away from the Research Library and back into the heart of the city.

* * *

XXX

* * *

It was night when she visited the Correctional Facility, against the suggestion of both Ibiki and Tsunade. Although the mole had been snuffed out, they had little knowledge as to what other banes Kabuto kept under his sleeve. His little excursion to her apartment and her own apparent lack of information as to the purpose of the trip had given her superiors little faith in her ability to interact with the prisoner without coming under some kind of harm. It was only after Sakura's vehement insistence that Tsunade had relented, casting her a sorrowful glance as the girl defended her case for continued interrogation. Sakura surmised that it was the memory of the Godaime's own desire to continue attempts to salvage Orochimaru after it was clear to everyone else he had been lost which gave her pause, but that same memory was the one which eventually allowed Sakura clearance to continue her work with Kabuto.

Sometimes she wondered if her mentor still wished to redeem her own fallen teammate. They were all suckers in this war.

Now she stood outside of the observation room with Neji Hyuuga yet again at her side. After Kabuto's escape he had demanded to be put on full guard duty, evidently angry that his own ANBU squadron had failed to react to that snake-masked man's subterfuge in time to stop the break-out. He wasn't wearing his mask now, and instead kept casting Sakura furtive glances.

"You shouldn't go in there. Nothing he will tell you is true."

There was an unspoken message in his words. _Whatever he says will harm you_.

Sakura shook her head, resisting a sardonic response. She should be pleased that Neji was here, and that apparently he was worried about her. But the Hyuuga's presence did little to calm her nerves; if anything, he made the entire excursion more difficult. She knew now that whatever transpired between Kabuto and herself was going to be of a most private nature, and everyone was already on edge. She didn't need some foolhardy man bursting in and knocking the prisoner out at the first sound of trouble. She was certain she could handle herself, and as strange as it was, that she wouldn't need to.

"I'll be fine," was her only response, and she walked away from Neji and into the observation room with the feeling of those milky eyes on her back. This wasn't his business anymore.

Kabuto was laid out on his cot, the illusionary seals back in black on the bars of his cell. She watched him quietly for a moment, the way he reclined with his arms tucked neatly behind his head, the off-kilter splay of his legs. He looked positively relaxed. Only the small pulsing of a vein in his jaw as he clenched and unclenched his teeth gave way any sense of apprehension. She steeled herself, opened the gate, and stepped inside.

He lurched visibly, but did not move to stand. The muscles in his arms flexed at the sudden intrusion, but Kabuto was lazy in his appraisal of her. "Sakura," he said simply, glancing back up towards the ceiling.

"Kabuto."

Everything except the cot had been removed from his cell. He had no blanket or pillow, no chair. No bucket. She didn't read into that one, instead standing with an air of gawkiness. He took a moment and then sat up, motioning for her to sit next to him. "Please," he offered, patting the hard steel bed. It was bolted to the floor. "What kind of man would I be if I let you stand?"

Sakura grimaced. "Exactly the kind of man you are?"

He rolled his eyes at her words, stretching his arms out and pushing his chest forward ever-so-slightly. The medic in her wondered if he had received medical attention for that cut – it was no doubt infected by now if he hadn't. And he probably hadn't. He tensed and then relaxed, shrugging. "Have it your way. I'm just glad you're here."

As he should be. Her presence here was the only indication that he may ever see another human being again. It solidified the knowledge in his mind that she had not spilled his little secret, and the idea no doubt gave him great pleasure. What thoughts had gone through his mind when he had woken up in that cell yet again? Had he felt betrayed? Vulnerable? It was a testament to his own planning that throughout this entire ordeal he had never shown one moment of vulnerability – except for in the jutsu, when he had rolled himself against her like an animal and tasted her lips.

It was only ever with her.

Sakura jumped straight to business. "You've been keeping tabs on me through that little spy of yours," she deadpanned, standing stiffly before him. Kabuto grinned, leaning back against the wall.

"We shouldn't talk about these things with an audience, Sakura." His eyes lofted over her shoulder to indicate the observation room, painfully blocked from his view. She glanced back, suddenly self-conscious that the ANBU had not honored her instructions to remain outside in the hall. Once inside the room, she could not see out either. But she buried the thought. ANBU acted on decorum – it would be akin to criminality if they were to disobey orders.

"We're alone," she said, voice steady and certain.

Kabuto smiled. "If you are so sure, then I trust you."

What a strange thought: Kabuto trusting her. She supposed at this point in their relationship she'd given him every reason to – keeping his indiscretions secret, hiding his most prized information. It wasn't for him that she did it, though, but for herself. For her village, and her friends. "Unfortunately, the feeling isn't mutual," was the girl's answer.

"It should be. I all but handed you that mole."

His diminishing her own role in discovering the truth frustrated her, and Sakura could not help but retort with angry words, "Yes, and now he's dead."

Kabuto tweaked his shoulders, apparently uncaring. "He served his purpose. He got you here."

With a scoff she rebuked him. "He didn't get me here. I came on my own."

"So you've decided to honor my request?"

Sakura could have laughed at that. His request? "I'm not here to help you escape, if that's what you're thinking."

A look of irritation crossed his features, followed by one of curiosity. "Then why are you here, Sakura? Were you hoping for a repeat of last night?" The suggestively lilt of his voice sent a wave of goose-flesh across her arms. A repeat of last night? Was he referring to _the kiss_ he had forced upon her? That was hardly something she wanted to relive. It made her feel dirty enough, but in truth, the girl had not had much time to think about that aspect of the events. She'd been far too concerned with the myriad of revelations being hurled her way. The invasion of privacy, the torrid mix of hope and fear.

His kiss had been nothing more than a distraction meant to throw her out of her right mind, and bringing it up now served the same purpose. Sakura couldn't allow for that. " _No_ ," the girl emphasized, a grit to her teeth. "If that's what I wanted I'd just go throw myself off of a bridge." Kabuto didn't react to her words, that suggestive sneer still perched on his features. "I came because we were interrupted before you could tell me exactly what it is you think you need from me in order to bring Sasuke home."

"I want so many things from you Sakura," he murmured, standing from the edge of the cot. He kept a respectable distance. "But I only need one."

She stepped back anyways. "And what is that?"

An air of machination fell over the two as Kabuto took three curt steps to stand right in front of her. With the bars at her back, there was no real escape. "I have shared some truths with you in our time together," he started, leaning forward until his face rested only a few inches from the curve of her ear. "Orochimaru has been forced from the Land of Fire. Sasuke's growing strength has thrown a wrench into Orochimau's plan to assimilate his body – the chakra that flows through the boy is unprecedented, and without some kind of aid my master has no ability to complete the soul-transfer jutsu."

All of this sounded like a good thing to her. She voiced this opinion, adding, "What need do you have of me, then?" A stray hand found its way up her arm, and Sakura shrugged away from it, glowering at him. "No touching; I'll break every bone in your body."

He dropped his hand. "Fine," almost a sulking sound, but then he returned to business mode. "When I first caught wind of your chakra sealing technique I presented it to Lord Orochimaru as a possible solution to this little problem, and he encouraged me to attempt my own rendition on Sasuke." He appeared thoughtful, leaning away from her. Sakura held on to every word with fascination, fearful that he meant to suggest _she_ ought to help Orochimaru assimilate her old friend. "However, without your capabilities and full understanding of the jutsu, I was unable to create a rendition which satisfactorily subdued dear Sasuke's chakra while keeping his body open to physical suggestion."

"…What happened?" Sakura piqued, curiosity bubbling in her voice. This had turned out to be far more illuminating that she had ever hoped for.

Kabuto sighed. "My preliminary explorations resulting in nothing more than physical mutation, and when Sasuke caught wind of Orochimaru's plans for him, he fled." He reached out again to touch her absentmindedly, and this time Sakura did not move away – far too enraptured in his words to notice the soft circles his thumb ran over her forearm. "Not before he wrecked my lab and attacked my master, leaving Orochimaru-sama in a severely weakened state." His grip strengthened, "Sasuke refuses to allow assimilation before he destroys that brother of his, but Lord Orochimaru grows weaker by the day. That is when a new idea presented itself to me. One I knew I needed you to implement."

"Kabuto," she interjected, "I refuse to help you put Orochimaru in Sasuke's body. It's ludicrous."

A soft chuckle was his only response. "That is not what I want, Sakura. My master has grown far too obsessed with this small village – the plans we once had have taken a back seat to his desire to obtain Sasuke Uchiha and to destroy the Village Hidden in the Leaves. I am not so narrow-minded."

She knew where he was going with this, but could not bring herself to accept it as truth. Did he really mean to suggest…?

"With your knowledge of sealing technique and my place as a trusted confidant, Orochimaru would not be long for this world." Fire burned between them, these longed-for words difficult to accept. "In his place I would end this ridiculous war between us, release Sasuke of his obligations, and pursue in solitude my own aspirations."

Sakura grasped the hand he held on her arm, pushing it away with little force. "And what aspirations are those?"

There he was again, his lips brushing the curve of her ear. "Immortality, Sakura. Eternal life with no need of a confederate body to rot my way through the millennia."

She jerked away from him, stalking away to the other side of the cell. "You're just another kind of monster," the girl cursed, accusation sputtering in her voice. The cramped soil walls were far too small for her, and Sakura did not feel she could create enough distance from him. Kabuto did not move to follow her, instead turning with a soft grin on his lips.

"The enemy of my enemy, Sakura."

"You are _not_ my friend," was her response.

Kabuto shrugged, running a hand down the steel bars of his cell. He wasn't looking at her. "Am I really so far from that?" he asked, voice low and sounding almost sad. "Are we really so different?"

What an inane question. "Yes!"

He swung around with angry eyes. "Well you don't have long to make up your mind."

They were closer again now, each stamping toward the other. Sakura pushed an indignant hand out and shoved his chest with minimal force, causing him to stumble back ever so slightly. "And why would I ever do that?" she questioned, meaning to follow through with another light assault but stopping when Kabuto caught her arm. For once he did not make to swing her into him, or to engender some kind of physical recourse between them. She half expected him to grab her face and press his own against it, but he did not. Instead he regarded her with passionate eyes.

"Because I represent the lesser of two evils, and you can't deny it."

Burning breath washed over her face. There was that sterile scent, and beneath it, the smell that was uniquely him. Sakura leaned forward ever-so-slightly, part of her half-mad caught up in his tumult. "I can…" she whispered. Kabuto still held her arm awkwardly between them, but at her soft words he dropped it and stepped forward.

Was he going to kiss her again? Sakura steeled herself, but nothing happened. Without realizing it she had closed her eyes, almost expectantly, and opened them a moment later when nothing came. He was staring down at her. "In three days I am set to be rescued, Sakura. A force unlike anything you can imagine will come down on this village. Prepare yourself."

Kabuto turned away, leaving her feeling almost… disappointed?

His gruff voice floated to her ears across the cell. "You can come with me, and we can end this. Or you can stand by and watch the world burn, just like always." A small flash of hurt shot through her. He was right, she did spend her life on the sidelines.

But the decision was not made so easily. Sakura turned and left the cell without a word, mind turning over and over. Kabuto stared after her, eyes hard in the candlelight.


	13. Chapter 12

**Strange Terrain:**

Chapter 12.

 **Author's Note:**

Updates will be coming a bit slower, but I promise I'll be working on this because we are getting dangerously close to the end of the first part of this story. You guys had a really great response to the last chapter, and I just want to say thank you a billion times to the people who take the time to review. Y'all are a thoughtful, intelligent bunch and I love reading about what you think might happen. You keep these characters _in_ character – which is something that is incredibly important to me. So thank you again, and please keep it up!

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XXX

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Neji Hyuuga stood on the other side of the illusionary seal, his back solidly against the grimy wall of the observation room and his arms crossed over his chest. Panic rose in Sakura's throat at the sight of him – his fox mask hanging low on his neck, his lips held in a thin line of frustration.

"H-How much of that did you..." she was stuttering as he interrupted her.

"He's a liar, Sakura."

Dread was the only word she could use to describe this moment. "Neji, I-"

"How could you let him _touch_ you like that?" Disgust dripped from his words, and each syllable gave rise to more and more panic. She felt disoriented. "I had no idea just how far he'd gotten his claws into you."

Sakura looked away, heaving a breath. It wasn't like that. She had to reach out to the wall to steady herself, but Neji was still speaking. "When were you planning on sharing this information with us? After the Sound attacked?" The accusation stung. She glared up at Neji with anger in her eyes, stopping short at the sight of the mix of confusion and hurt unbridled on his pristine features. A look like that did not belong on a genius. The girl shook her head in an attempt to clear her mind.

"I haven't even had time to process this and you're already grilling me on it," she blurted her thoughts, looking back over her shoulder into the room where Kabuto stood blissfully unaware. He was staring out of the bars, almost directly at her, as if he could still sense her presence.

Neji's lip ticked. "Obviously you've had plenty of time to process more than a few things."

What was that supposed to mean? A shiver worked up her arm, and she reached out to touch the place at her elbow where Kabuto had been stroking almost affectionate circles. "I never wanted to go in there," she spoke defensively, " _You_ were the one who asked me to play along."

"And you've been doing a great job at it," he hissed, finally pushing himself off of the wall and stalking over towards her. "I think your part in this is done."

Sakura backed away, feeling like a cornered animal. Suddenly Neji reminded her of Kabuto, and she didn't feel safe. Somehow in this moment she felt as if she'd be safer on the other side of those bars. "Is that so?" the girl whispered, angling her head away when Neji became far too close for comfort. There were rough hands on her shoulders, and he jerked her hard until she looked up at him. This time there was only hurt on the man's face, but Sakura did not understand why. Did he feel betrayed? Had she unknowingly become a traitor in her pursuit to learn the truth? Sakura was shaking more than she would have liked.

"Unless you were planning on taking him up on that insane offer," Neji answered, hot breath that smelled of chamomile washing over her face.

"Is it so insane?" she balked, realizing in a heartbeat that she was truly asking him this question. That Neji had somehow become her confidant, and she needed to know his true thoughts. All of this had become far too complicated for her to deal with alone. No wonder he was hurt – he had all but given himself to her as an ally, and instead of reciprocating Sakura had shouldered the weight of this all on her own, hiding Kabuto's true nature in the shadows simply to protect herself. "He wants to end Orochimaru…"

How could that opportunity be thrown away?

Neji grip lessened. "He wants to take you away and put you in a cell and do exactly to you what you've done to him."

Sakura paused. How could she expect advice from someone who had no idea what was even happening? As ridiculous as it was, she didn't feel any fear towards Kabuto. Not towards the man, anyways. Sakura no longer believed he wanted to hurt her. Sure, he might choke her to death in some sex-fueled rage and then do god knows what to her corpse, but he would never torture her. It was clear to the girl now that Kabuto longed for something from her that could not be as easily classified as _revenge_. Something that she could probably never give to him – comradeship, friendship… affection. Neji was useless at understanding these things. Neji had never wanted them.

She purposefully removed his hands from her person, straightening. "I have worked hard and gone through hell to get information from that man." Her voice was steel, and Neji stepped away from it. "Before today we had no idea that an attack was coming, whether or not Sasuke had been assimilated, and where Orochimaru was. I have sacrificed my _sanity_ to learn this information – for my village, for my teammates, for my friends." Sakura clenched a fist at her side, "So if I seem a little insane, then I think I've done a pretty good job." A pause, "And _you_ don't get to decide what I am going to do or when I am done."

Pushing passed him, Sakura made to leave the room. A gloved hand reached out and caught her arm lightly, causing the girl to pause with her back to him. "What did he mean when he said a repeat of last night?" Neji's voice was so low she almost did not catch it.

Sakura wet her lips and left the room.

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XXX

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Tsunade took the news a lot better than Neji Hyuuga had, although taking bad news well for the Godaime involved a splintered oak desk and two thrown chairs. Sakura sat patiently across from her mentor with folded hands in her lap, staring at nothing in particular as the older woman paced back and forth angrily. She was a little annoyed that Neji had insisted on following her to this place – as if he truly believed that left to her own devices Sakura would conceal such important information as an impending attack on her people. Just what had she done to make him think so little of her?

She had a few ideas.

A third chair toppled to the floor under Tsunade's hideous strength, and the woman took a moment to collect herself before righting the piece of furniture and seating herself in a dignified manner. Between them the splintered wooden desk caved in on itself slightly, but Tsunade paid it no attention. "So the Sound is going to attack?" she asked, smoothing her hair.

Sakura scratched her neck uncomfortably. "Yes."

"And Kabuto Yakushi was planning this from the beginning?"

"Yes," Sakura shifted in her seat, "His capture was no accident."

Tsunade deadpanned. "He wanted to get to you?"

The girl nodded in affirmation, working hard to hold the gaze of her mentor. Tsunade did not look as tired as Sakura felt, and the woman cast a motherly glance towards her.

"To hurt you?"

Everyone seemed to certain of that – it made Sakura wonder if she was foolish to believe differently. "He says he wants me to help him defeat Orochimaru."

An unprofessional scoff came from the corner where Neji Hyuuga was standing, but Tsunade appeared thoughtful at her words. The woman leaned forward onto her broken desk and balanced her weight delicately on two elbows. She rested a chin on her intertwined hands. "Obviously we can't allow you to go with him." _Obviously_. Sakura wanted to roll her eyes, but she resisted the temptation. Tsunade was still speaking. "When they come for him, they will most likely come for you as well." She wet her lips mindfully, "I would assume his true motive is to have you disarm the seal."

Sakura had considered this, and in many ways it made more sense than him wanting to betray his master. Still, the indifference with which he had spoken about Orochimaru and the deference he had shown her gave the girl pause. She did not speak.

"We won't allow that to happen. In three days when the attack comes, you will be here. Below. In the secure facility." Tsunade nodded to herself, obviously distracted by the notion of impending battle. Already tallying the loss of her people. "We'll spare a small ANBU detail, and your location will be classified. _Nobody_ is to know where you are."

A protest rose in Sakura's voice. "You can't lock me in the basement. I should be out there fighting. I'm strong, Tsunade-sama. I can't sit by while my friends-"

"You can," Tsunade cut her off. "Because I am telling you to."

Sakura pressed her lips into a thin line. Stuck on the sidelines _again_. She could almost imagine the sneer on Kabuto's face when he realized she had made like a rat and scurried away. This did not feel fair – she hadn't had any time to consider Kabuto's request on her own. In some ways it was nice to have the decision taken from her hands, but in many others the girl felt cheated. Sakura knew that as a shinobi she was a tool for the Leaf, but now she felt very much like a tool that had been thrown away. Finally the girl spoke; "And until then..?"

Tsunade had already stood from the broken desk and turned her back on the girl, glaring hard out over the great city. "Do not return to the Correctional Facility."

Sakura stood and offered her mentor a deep and respectful bow. "Yes, Tsunade-sama," she breathed, turning away before the sudden and unwelcome fire prickling behind her nose spilled over. She kept her head low as she made to exit the grand office, pausing only for a moment as she passed Neji Hyuuga. Tsunade called from behind.

"You've done well, Sakura."

The girl did not turn. "Thank you," she offered, her words only cracking slightly at the end. With a push she was swinging out of the office; the water brewing in her eyes swelled and forced the girl to drop her head back and swallow a deep breath of air. She squelched the feeling.

Tsunade could be heard just as the heavy doors shuddered to a close. "…summon Ibiki."

Sakura turned and hurried down the hall, unsure of where she was going. She stumbled through the labyrinthine hallways of the annex and passed large windows, falling up a flight of stairs. More than once she clipped the shoulder of a fellow Leaf shinobi – innocent bystanders going about their business. A few called out after her, but Sakura did not slow her shambling pace. Another flight of stairs found her faced with a heavy metal door, and the girl pushed through it with abandon.

Sunlight blinded her, a rush a wind ruffling her hair and sending her Haruno garb aflutter. The door bounced sharply against the adobe wall of the annex as she stepped out onto the roof, heavy wind dancing all around her. Leaves trembled through the fresh air, falling lifelessly to her feet as the current died down and left the girl feeling deafened and defenseless. She walked forward hesitantly, mind flashing with the memory of Team 7. Memories of screaming matches between Naruto and Sasuke, of late afternoon lunches and hours spent waiting for Kakashi. Companionship.

Overhead the great faces of Hokages long-dead regarded her – faces forever frozen in stone. They would not run and hide like this; their judgement cast down on her and renewed the stinging sensation of tears that threatened to fall. Sakura made her way across the roof and clasped her hands tight on the white railing, letting her head fall back and the first of the tears to slip between firmly clenched eyelids.

Truly, she was pathetic. More and more tears came; unabashed, unwanted. Unrelenting. The first of a series of hard sobs rocked her shoulders until she was leaning forward and a stream of angry tears fell in fat droplets onto the back of her hands. The salt-water was cool, but Sakura imagined that each tear was burning through her skin like acid, leaving gaping holes and exposing the raw tendons beneath. The girl crumpled in on herself, sinking to her knees and letting her chin sag defeated into her chest. Still she held on to the railing, ending up in an impossibly awkward position and crying loudly for none to hear.

Pathetic.

A soft cough drew the girl from her tumult. Her hands fell away from the railing – her lifeline – and instead circled her sides. A dry heave shook her body as she tried to choke back her tears, resulting only in a few vulgar gags and the dispersion of a large quantity of mucus from her nose. Sakura immediately pressed her wrist to her face, embarrassed, and cast a hesitant glance over her shoulder.

Neji Hyuuga. Damn him. He stood in the still-open roof access with notable poise, watching her with an unreadable expression. She was still crying, but the girl had managed to calm the rocking of her body and kept her wrist pressed solidly against her moth. She bit the skin there in an attempt to center herself, blinking rapidly as she struggled to her feet.

"Go away," she bit out, her voice sounding wet and muddled. The man did not move.

Sakura abandoned her struggle to stand and instead let herself drop unceremoniously onto her butt, back against the railing, glaring at Neji Hyuuga. Why did he have to follow her here? Why did he insist on intruding upon her most vulnerable moments? Sakura felt her eyebrows draw together as yet another storm of tears threatened to fall, and she cursed herself. Neji was walking towards her now, and the girl stared up at him listlessly. "I asked you to go," she offered, lips quivering.

"Why are you crying, Sakura?" Neji's voice was soft like the wind. He lowered himself with practiced grace until they were eye-level, and for the second time that day reminded her of another man. Of Kabuto's soft side - the side only she knew. When the girl did not respond he continued. "I came to apologize… to ask for your forgiveness. It was wrong for me to make assumptions about you and…" he trailed off for a moment, visibly tensing. "…Yakushi." As if he could not bear to speak the man's name. "Please do not cry."

Neji Hyuuga asking her not to cry only spurred Sakura on more, but this time when the tears came they were refined – lines of water trailing from red-rimmed eyes. The green in her irises shone brightly with the contrast.

An awkward hand rose between them, and Neji's calloused thumb brushed her cheek. The motion was meant to be calm and comforting, but he did it with such stunted movements that it came off as almost aggressive. Sakura recoiled slightly, wiping her face on the sleeve of her shirt. A small sniffle was the only response she offered, angling her head away so as not to look at the man.

"It's fine," she finally answered once it had become apparent that he did not intend to leave. Sakura kept her features schooled into a mask of impassivity, still refusing to meet Neji's milky gaze. The longer he crouched in front of her, the more childish she felt. The girl cursed softly, rubbing her face with up-turned palms. No doubt she was a blotchy mess. "You only did what you thought was right."

"It was right," Neji corrected, leaning forward into her space. With her back against the cool white bars, Sakura had no place to go. She finally met the man's eyes.

"But it was wrong to assume I wouldn't do it myself."

He lofted a shoulder, twisted in front of her until his body sat in a poised potion with crossed legs. "Tsunade-sama has requested that I be a part of your ANBU detail in the upcoming battle." Neji did not once break eye-contact, his voice holding an air of professionalism but his face marred with some unreadable expression that Sakura could easily mistake for concern. "And also…" there it was, the briefest flicker of his eyes away from her own. "…that I accompany you until that time."

Sakura balked. "She wants you to keep an eye on me?"

There was that hot frustration again, threatening to manifest itself in tears. Sakura was unsure of what she had done to lose the faith of her mentor, of this Neji Hyuuga. The worst of what transpired between Kabuto Yakushi and herself was still a secret burned deep into her flesh, one she would take to the grave and beyond. The road to hell was paved with the best of intentions, indeed.

Neji inclined his head. "After Yakushi's breakout, and this subsequent realization of his intentions to… acquire you… the Godaime has well-placed worries about your safety."

"He's not going to break out again." No doubt the man had already been moved to some remote hole in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by black-ops and living in a hell far worse than her own. Sakura's chest lurched a little at the thought – at the sudden realization that she was never going to see Kabuto again. It should be a feeling of relief which crashed over her, and in some ways it was. But more than that she felt a tinge of fear… Kabuto Yakushi had become the backdrop of her life. A twisted and tumultuous backdrop, but a backdrop nonetheless. Their business did not feel finished. Having this strange person ripped away so suddenly filled her with deep regret, similar to the way she felt the day she realized Sasuke was not going to come home.

"Sakura…" Neji was speaking again, but the girl was lost in her own mind. She was thinking of the medical room far beneath the hospital – of long conversations about right and wrong, the feel of linen. The smell of tea. "Lately I've had thoughts – one's I'm not-"

A deafening sound came from above, ripping Sakura from her reverie. The girl jerked, snapping to attention. Neji was already at his feet, body taking on a defensive posture. His head was angled in the direction from which the explosion came, a spare hand glistening with a kunai at his side. Sakura followed the gaze, watching in horror as a massive plume of smoke came billowing from Hokage Rock. Large chunks of earth shot high into the sky, showering over the two where they stood atop the annex. Shards of rock scratched their skin in the fallout. Sakura shielded her eyes, squinting out under a raised arm as more and more masses fell from the monument in a sort of slow-motion.

The faces of the first and second Hokages shuddered under the force, slipping with terrible energy against the great mountain. Another explosion blasted, and the tension caught. The delicate yet firm faces began to crumble, falling to the ground in large pieces. Sakura jerked, crouching low as a particularly large chunk of refuse fell past her body and tumbled across the concrete flooring at her feet. It collided with the adobe wall of the annex with a rumble, casting wisps of dirt and soil thick into the air.

Ears ringing, the girl stumbled back upright as the air began to settle. Dust hung heavy in her throat, obscuring all vision and suffocating any breath. A series of coughs rocked her body, bringing tears to the girl's eyes as she held the crux of her elbow solidly against her mouth and nose. Disorientation rang supreme.

A rough hand gripped Sakura's arm, pulling her quite suddenly into Neji's side. He kept a defensive arm curved in front of them, squinting through the smoke with his kunai held at a deadly angle. "It's begun," came the man's hushed voice, barely audible above the crashing of the great rocks some distance away. "We must get to the secure facility." Already that hand was tugging at her, pulling the girl back in the direction of the roof-access.

The dust was beginning to settle.

Across the city blocks between the annex and Hokage Rock a great fire had started; Sakura could hear the faraway cries of citizens caught unaware. At the top of the rock where the faces had fallen far away and the fires had tempered under extreme heat she saw a figure – a familiar silhouette shrouded in impenetrable darkness lined with sharp edges and angry angles. Light crackled at its side, casting dense chakra for miles around. It hung heavy in her heart.

Chidori.

Without a thought Sakura wrenched her arm from Neji Hyuuga's grasp, rushing on unsure feet to the white-lined railing of the annex. She hesitated a moment, grasped the cool metal, and hurled herself over the edge before the man behind her could speak a word.

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XXX

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Kabuto shuffled in a stagnant line, heavy iron chains weighing down his hands and feet and bringing an unsavory sheen of sweat to his pallid skin. The hot Konohagakuren sun beat down overhead; shade from the hidden village's lush forestry was sparse around the Correctional Facility and only offered brief moments of reprieve.

They had come for him only two hours after Sakura left, which was an hour earlier than the man had expected and made things that much more difficult for him. After he had revealed his plans for Orochimaru's eventual demise and the inevitable attack of the Sound on Konoha, Kabuto had expected his dear kunoichi to struggle for some time as to which path to take. He knew that ultimately she would be forced by her own civic-mindedness to forewarn the Godaime of his revelations, but such a plan was risky at best and foolhardy at worst. If the girl remained silent or lingered too long before reaching out to her mentor, the timing of his rescue would be ruined and Kabuto would be forced to improvise from the confines of a dirty cell in the center of a molten pit.

Outside was a much better option.

Still, this early departure threw a bit of a wrench into his plans. Judging by the angle of that unforgiving sun it was no later than high-noon, and any rescue party would not arrive until after middle-day. The inconvenient location of the Correctional Facility saw to that – Sound nin would be forced to fight through the streets of the city long before they could reach this place, and at that rate he'd already be shoved in some new and exponentially more restrictive hole than before.

Apparently he would have to improvise anyways. That was the problem with relying on other people to complete your plans – no matter how skilled a manipulator Kabuto was, not matter how fully he felt he understood other people – there was still room for human error. A seed of frustration grew behind the man's brow as perspiration dribbled down his cheek.

Five ANBU were escorting him to an unknown location under the direction of one Morino Ibiki. Intelligence gathered over the years suggested Ibiki would bring him to one of three places: an underground interrogation chamber in the center of the laughing forest, the secondary Morino estate which was heavily armed with large walls and deep mines, or back into the interconnected tunnels spider-webbed beneath the city. Kabuto knew Ibiki held a sadistic preference for the forest with its vast land and suspension of moral law. Many a missin-nin had met their demise beneath the ground there.

The group veered towards the trees and confirmed Kabuto's suspicions. Try as he might throughout the years, the medic had never uncovered the exact location of the interrogation chamber and only had a rough idea of the path they would take. Kabuto kicked his foot roughly into the dirt, leaving an angry mark, in hopes that some rescue party would recognize the distortion as a sign to proceed with plan A. He'd left specific instructions as to where the group should be intercepted, but all that was for naught when they had left an hour early and were moving at a fast pace.

 _Stall_ , Kabuto thought, dredging his feet through the dirt and earning an angry look for the ANBU at the head of the group. Morino Ibiki stopped at his side, glaring over the medic with calculating eyes. "I need water," Kabuto spoke quietly, eyes glued hard on the ground. "I haven't had any since my return to the facility."

That wasn't a lie – he was quite dehydrated and this obtuse sweating was doing little to ameliorate the situation. He hoped the pale quality of his skin and the dark circles which no doubt lined the underside of his eyes would create a convincing picture, but Ibiki did not move or speak for a long moment. "You'll be lucky to ever have water again," the man finally spoke, his gruff voice lilting with an air of suspicion. "Walk."

Kabuto did not move, and instead let out a long stream of air from deep within his lungs. "I won't be able to make it."

"We'll drag you then," Ibiki retorted, motioning his head towards the chains which bound Kabuto's hands and feet. Each shackle was attached to a cable roughly five feet in length, and the ANBU in front and behind him held the ends respectively. Kabuto did not doubt that they would drag him, and he wondered if he could suffer the indignity. Strategically it was not a terrible plan – the marks left on the ground would provide a clear path for his rescue party to follow, and no matter how strong these ANBU were, dragging a fully-grown man through the dirt and the trees would be quite time-consuming.

He pulled his lower lip between his teeth – a thoughtful movement picked up from watching Sakura. A sigh escaped the man as he resigned himself to his fate, and he rolled his shoulders for a moment before locking eyes with Ibiki and dropped like a bag of rocks to the ground.

A distant sound echoed through the woods just as Kabuto hit the dirt, and for a ludicrous moment he imagined that he was a bomb exploding over this wretchedly lifeless place. But the explosion did not come from him, and Kabuto recognized it immediately as the beginning of the attack from the Sound. A smile twisted his lips as his face bounced into the dirt; the man rolled over on to his stomach and did his best to pull his body into a tight ball. Already Ibiki had lashed out in an angry movement, kicking Kabuto in the ribs but failing to connect when he faltered at the sound.

"What was that?" one of the ANBU called from behind his regulation mask. This time when Ibiki kicked him it connected, and Kabuto groaned out in pain and further tightened himself.

"Pull him!" Ibiki yelled, not a single note of panic in his voice. "We must get him to the chamber."

The ANBU which had been in front of Kabuto complied immediately, tugging deftly on the chains and forcing Kabuto's arms out and over his head. His body lagged from the friction of the ground, but after a moment the guard's strength won and he was being pulled unceremoniously through the dirt. Kabuto did his best to pull against the chains, watching all the while as Ibiki stared down at him in disgust. "It's too late!" Kabuto laughed out, kicking his lower legs at the ANBU behind him. They had only managed to pull him a few feet before Ibiki brandished a kunai from his leg-pouch and crouched low at Kabuto's thrashing side.

The medic stilled, staring up at the burnt man. In a moment that kunai was pressed against Kabuto's throat, and Ibiki was hissing through gritted teeth. "We don't need you alive anymore."

Kabuto remained calm, pushing his head forward defiantly until the kunai just barely pierced his skin. "Then why am I not dead yet?"

A hot rivulet of blood trailed down the man's neck as he stared up at his interrogator. A long moment lagged between the two, undisturbed until the sound of a second explosion could be heard miles away. Ibiki hesitated before lowering the weapon, squinting in the shade of the trees. "Go!" he called, breaking his gaze from Kabuto's and instead piercing the lead ANBU guard with a hard glare.

Kabuto's body lurched forward as the group began to move again. His dark tunic pulled against the ground, exposing his skin to the rough granules of dirt and bringing forth an almost unbearable irritation. The medic returned to his struggling, hoping against hope that he could buy himself enough time.

Ten minutes later found that the group had made some progress, and Kabuto could no longer see the scorched earth surrounding the Correctional Facility. He felt blood leaking from the angry scrapes on his chest, and his hands throbbed at the continual tugging of the shackles on his wrists. Overhead the trees grew thick, casting deep shadows over his body and obscuring the memory of that hot sun. Still sweat poured from his skin in the muggy air, the chirping of cicadas prevalent even over the noise of his weakened struggles. Gnats buzzed around the man's face, and Kabuto spit at them in frustration as they attacked his mouth and nose.

This was when the first kunai came, whizzing silently through the air and striking the lead ANBU hard from the left. The man went down, clutching at his neck with a loud scream. A flash of red shot through the air, and the other members of the group stilled for a short moment before all hell broke loose.

Another volley of knives came at them, and in a blink of an eye Kabuto was alone on the forest floor. His weak hands fell to the ground, the weeping welts around his wrists sticking in the dirt. The man dropped his head, aching arms reaching up to protect himself. He could hear the sound of weapons clashing above him in the trees as well as the frenzied cries of men, and only after he was sure no crossfire would find him did the medic struggle to find footing. Kabuto's tunic was torn and sat in shreds around his shoulders – excruciating stinging radiated from his skin. Head swimming, the man lurched on unsure feet towards one of the trees. He did not know how many men had come to his aid; he did not know who would win. All Kabuto Yakushi was sure of was that he had to get away.

He tumbled from tree to tree, grasping the sharp bark for leverage. The heavy cables attached to those dreadful chains dragged behind him. The weight did little to slow him down. Kabuto moved deeper into the forest, until the sounds of battle were overwhelmed by the squawking of creatures and the buzzing of insects.

 _Keep moving, keep moving._

To his left the sound of a stream could be heard, and Kabuto shuddered in that direction. He was familiar with this part of laughing forest only in maps, but knew well enough that any water would lead him to relative safety. All roads lead to Rome, so-to-speak. A few minutes of fumbling found the man crashing forward into a clearing where the river roared passed; he fell to his knees and crawled feebly towards the water. A bloody and bruised hand dipped beneath the surface, bringing forth cool liquid to Kabuto's chapped lips. He drank it greedily, spooning fluid into his dried mouth with desperate movements.

Satiated and revitalized, Kabuto fell back onto his butt and cast a fearful glance over his shoulder. Any of the ANBU could be coming for him by now. He did not hold much respect for his own men, and he knew at the very least Morino Ibiki was fearsome. He doubted greatly that an entire squad of sound-nin could bring the interrogator down, and with that in mind Kabuto struggled to his feet and kept moving along the edge of the river.

It was hard not to feel pleased even in a moment as tense as this one. His plans had suffered so many set-backs, and yet here Kabuto raced – free. With any luck this was the stream he remembered from the maps of the laughing forest, and if so it would loop around the hidden village to a small subsidiary where another team would be waiting for him. There was still the matter of Sakura, but that would have to be addressed from a place of relative safety. Kabuto doubted she would be very keen on joining him after the inevitable realization that he had lied about when the Sound would attack.

A small infraction, considering some of the lies he had told her in the past.

Kabuto chuckled lightly at the image of her face in his mind, pinched in that characteristic look of disapproval and anger and doing little to mask the wheels turning behind her eyes. He was almost excited to see it.

The banks of the stream were muddy and squelched loudly beneath Kabuto's feet. His steps sunk deep into the muck, slowing him down only slightly. If the ANBU had not caught up to him by now it was doubtful they would, and the man congratulated himself on another victory. What's more, the surrounding terrain was beginning to look familiar. He recognized a few landmarks from the maps he had studied, and knew with relative certainty that he was on the correct path. Things bode well for Kabuto as he trotted along, and soon enough he felt comfortable ducking back into the cover of the trees.

The subsidiary would not be more than a mile from this place.

When the river finally died out it was into a marshy expanse of land. Flies buzzed around Kabuto's face as his thin leather boots slipped through gregarious deposits of mud. More than once he caught himself against the trunk of a solid tree, narrowly avoiding a precarious fall. So distracted he was with keeping his footing that the man did not see a small drop off lingering a few feet in front of him. A quick misstep found Kabuto tumbling over the edge.

Head over feet Kabuto's body rolled down the ledge, his aching skin battered in muck and his limbs flailing for ground through the tumult. The man's right arm caught a root, ripping roughly with the velocity and resulting in a sickening _pop_. He lagged, groaning loudly as his lifeless limb twitched against the branch. Kabuto jerk himself free and fell again, pulling his arm into his chest protectively as he slid down the rest of the drop and tumbled forward into a damp clearing.

Four men stood in front of him, Sound insignias marking them as some of his own.

Kabuto held his shoulder, staring up at the other men. He was covered in mud and could already feel it congealing on his face, but the medic gave it no thought as he pulled himself shakily to his feet. Pain radiated from the joint, and when he dropped the arm it lulled uselessly to his side. This was a problem. Without a thought Kabuto's medical training clicked into gear, recognizing the distant numbness tingling down his arm as a sign of dislocation. The man forced his arm into a right angle and gripped his bicep, twisting with measured force upwards until he felt a snap of pain. He revolved the injured joint, hissing lightly. A probing finger pressed around the edges of the socket, finding the humorous back in place.

Lethal eyes glowered up at the surrounding men. They stood back hesitantly, watching as Kabuto dropped his injured shoulder and rolled his neck. He must have been quite a sight, covered in blood and muck, glaring out at them from under his bangs. "Get these chains off of me," he commanded, holding his bloody wrists forward authoritatively. His right arm sagged a little lower than the left, but the cold glint on Kabuto's face refuted any words from the men.

Nobody moved. Kabuto's face twitched in frustration. "Do it!" he yelled, jingling the chains. The man's gray hair was brown with dirt and sticking to his cheeks, his tattered tunic was water-logged and exposing dirty skin almost to his navel. The blood on his chest had dried into a rusty crust.

"You are to come with us, Kabuto-sama," one of the Sound-nin spoke with a shaky voice, standing at the center of the small group of men. He was tall with mousey brown hair and sunken features, skin notoriously pale from a living underground. Kabuto did not recognize him – nor any of the others. He did not spend much time fraternizing with the men; they were tools meant to be cannon-fodder for his master's nefarious plans, and occasionally test-subjects for his own.

Kabuto tilted his head, eying each of their faces. "I am your superior and I am giving you an order. I'll wring every one of your necks."

The men shrunk but still did not move. Finally the brave one at the center of the group stepped forward, leaning down to grip the ends of the cables attached to Kabuto's wrists. He stood back, looking up with nervous eyes. "We have been ordered to bring you to the city, Kabuto-sama." A small tug on the chain pulled Kabuto forward a few inches, inciting rage deep in his stomach. The man lurched in reverse, tugging the Sound-nin forward in the mud. He lost footing and tripped, falling into the marshland and taking the cable with him. The sudden weight on the chain strained Kabuto's relocated arm, and he hissed.

"Get off of me!" he yelled, smashing a booted foot into the other man's face. The rest of the group stood back uncomfortably. "We are not going back to the city," Kabuto straightened, swallowing the fury in his voice. "I am Orochimaru's second-in-command; you do as I tell you."

Another meek Sound-nin stepped forward from the group, brandishing a kunai from his back. "We are not here with Orochimaru," he explained, angling the weapon in the medic's direction.

Kabuto's stomach sunk at the sight. He was bloody and beaten, still dehydrated. His right arm was twitching at his side. The man did not step back though, instead leveling the group with serious eyes. "Who then?" he asked, already knowing the answer to the question. There was only one other person capable of commanding the Sound army, and it was not someone Kabuto was keen on seeing.

The answer came like a punch to the gut.

"Sasuke Uchiha."

The man on the ground had lifted himself during this short exchange. A sharp blow to the back of the head saw Kabuto fall unconscious, prisoner once again.


	14. Chapter 13

**Strange Terrain:**

Chapter 13.

 **Author's Note:**

Sorry for taking so long to update, I'm working on my PhD! Hope y'all enjoy, and please review!

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XXX

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Bits of debris and soil stung Sakura's skin as she fell through the air. Behind her she heard Neji Hyuuga calling her name in a panicked voice, but he was soon drowned out by the noise of raging fire and more explosions. The girl landed smoothly on the ground below the annex, one leg extended delicately and the other bent in a perfect crouch. Her palm lingered for a moment on the concrete which was radiating with heat from the summer sun, and then Sakura was up and running.

Throngs of people pushed passed her – screams filled the smoky air as bodies clipped her shoulders on either side and the village people rushed away from the falling rocks. Sakura was running towards them, squinting eyes searching through the mayhem for the man she knew was waiting. She could not see the sky above Hokage Rock, and the fires which raged below scorched the girl's skin with heat. Still she ran, ducking as a particularly large piece of rock crashed to the ground a few feet away and sent a small blast of rubble in all directions.

Sakura wanted to get to the top of the monument, but the closer she came to the base the more precarious the situation grew. A chunk of earth in the shape of a nose fell from above – the sky was black with smoke and wreckage. Coughing, Sakura held the crook of her arm to her nose and moved on, deftly avoiding falling rocks and skirting the edges of small fires. The guard shack which signaled the ascending path towards Hokage Rock was demolished by a massive boulder, and bits of the wreckage were scattered all around the area and burned brightly. A man stood nearby, and from his clothing she recognized him immediately as an enemy. That purple cinch around his waist and the sound insignia hanging low on his neck gave him away, and without a thought Sakura tore a kunai from her thigh-pouch and sent it spiraling in his direction.

It clipped the man's left shoulder, and with a wisp he disappeared from where he stood. _Fast_ , Sakura thought, raising another kunai. _But not fast enough_. She swung her arm deftly to the side, and in a heartbeat sparks lit the air where her weapon matched his own. There was a struggle of strength for a moment before Sakura channeled all of her chakra into her free hand and swung her body around the meet the man, smashing him square in the gut with her free fist.

His eyes bulged, and then the man was flying backwards through the smoke and landed with what would have been a sickening sound against one of the heavy boulders. He slumped and did not stand; Sakura was already on the move again, racing up the ascending path of the monument.

Behind her she could hear the shinobi of the Leaf assembling. No doubt her friends and comrades were sprinting towards this place in an attempt to save the townsfolk and defend against the impending Sound-nin. Sakura could not think about that though, because a much larger prize was waiting at the head of those rocks.

"Sakura!"

Annoyance flashed through her chest as she kept running. Neji Hyuuga was not far behind, but the girl refused to slow her pace. She ducked again as more rocks fell, hoping the burnt air would obscure his vision – unlikely for the wielder of the Byakuugan. Sandals slapped the tightly packed dirt as Sakura ran up and up, a kunai gripped firmly in her right hand.

Three Sound shinobi spread on the path in front of the girl, each crouched defensively and wielding weapons of various size. One gripped a lethal long-sword, and he was the first to race towards her. Sakura skidded to a stop, unleashing the kunai in her hand before bounding backwards in the air against gravity. The ninja blocked her projectile with ease, and with a flash he was right in front of her. Three shuriken whipped through the air just as Neji's voice yelled, "Move!" Sakura slipped to the side uncoordinatedly, tripping slightly and struggling to catch her footing.

The man with the long-sword blocked the first two shuriken and grimaced roughly as the third bit his side. It did little to deter him, but Neji Hyuuga was already charging the man with his own kunai held in front of his face and his veiny eyes staring through to the man's soul. Sakura turned her attention to the other two enemies, and with glowing palms she smashed her fists into the dirt.

The earth sprang to life with a dreadful sound; veins of rock splintered upwards as the ground split into large chunks and sent the two men scattering. Sakura jumped from piece to piece, glaring through the mucky air after the Sound-nin. One came from above, bearing down on her with a unique weapon shaped somewhat like a club with large spikes drilled into the end. She did not hesitate to meet him, pushing off of the splintered rock and arching through the air so that the two met in what felt for a moment like null-gravity. He was swinging that club at her, but Sakura tucked her body into a tight flip and landed a chakra-enhanced foot square against the man's chest. He shot down to the ground, the girl falling deftly behind him.

This Sound-nin was more skilled than the last, and he landed on his feet with only a shudder. Sakura leveled glowing fists in his direction, wincing as bits of dirt clouded her vision. The fire from the guard-shack had spread up the dried shrubbery of the mountain and licked the two from their sides. No attention was paid to the flames as both shinobi raced towards each other; Sakura was there first, levying an uppercut at the man as he swung down with his mace.

Her fist touched the wood and it exploded into a million pieces, showering the two with bits of dried material and far more dangerous spikes.

Sakura skittered backwards defensively, crying out with pain as one of the barbs from the club imbedded itself deep into the flesh of her forearm. The Sound-nin was crouched low and blocking his head from the onslaught. With little hesitation Sakura ripped the spike from her arm and flung it at the man, lines of red painting the air as it sailed towards him with furious force and impaled his shoulder.

At this point the ground had become quite unstable, shaking beneath their feet as more and more blasts sounded from above. Sakura felt a pit of dread form in her stomach with the realization that Hokage Rock would surely be destroyed today, but she buried that notion in the back of her mind and instead focused on the more pressing issue of the enemy in front of her. That man had not stood from his crouch yet – instead he gripped desperately at the spike in his shoulder and hollered several screams of agony. A slick sheen of sweat broke out on Sakura's skin, and in a moment of fear she reached up and gripped her own wound.

Hot blood was flowing freely from what could only be described as a gaping hole in her arm. The blood was coming too quickly for comfort, and Sakura knit her eyebrows together in concentration as she poured healing chakra into the wound. A quick probe was enough to inform her that the barbs had been poisonous, and already a woozy feeling was beginning to come over her. The girl's stomach turned as she shuddered back, the green glow of her palm dying.

Ahead the Sound-nin struggled to unclip a pouch at his belt. Shaking hands retrieved what looked through the smoke to be a pill, and he deposited it into his mouth with a tenuous grasp. Now he was chewing, and as soon as that Adam's apple bobbed with swallow he appeared strengthened – standing. Any clever poisoner keeps an antidote nearby.

Sakura wavered, breaths coming in heaves.

"Neji!" she cried, realizing that at any moment she would lose her balance and fall. The dark haired Hyuuga appeared before her in a flash, looking none-the-worse for wear and holding the unconscious third shinobi under his arm. He threw the man to the side with no hesitation, quickly ducking his head under Sakura's arm to give her balance. Just as he had begun to sprint in the opposite direction of the final Sound-nin a spurt of blood launched from Sakura's dried lips. She coughed loudly, gripping Neji's bicep with weak fingers. "Neji – poison… He has… antidote…"

Neji skittered to a stop, looking with veined milky eyes between the girl and the enemy. A curt nod was all Neji offered, before he laid her to the ground gently and turned to stalk away.

Sakura's vision was crossed, and she could barely hear over the sound of the burning shrubbery. Still, she recognized a man's scream echo out over the chaos. A few moments which felt like an eternity lagged by before Neji reappeared at her side and was forcing a small pill not dissimilar to a food-pellet between the girl's lips.

It was tart and tasted faintly like bile, but Sakura chewed it anyways behind clenched eyes.

"This place is going to burn down. It's destroyed," she heard Neji speaking, and peaked up at him from her place on the ground. The man had a bit of his white sleeve caught between his sharp teeth, and with a quick turn of the head he ripped off a strip. Sakura could feel the antidote taking effect – her breathing came easier, and the small stem of blood from her lips dried. Neji pulled the girl's injured arm forward with little grace and began looping the strip of his robes around it, Byakuugan-enhanced eyes continuously scanning their surroundings. "We need to get back to the village."

Sakura shook her head with some strength. "Sasuke," she offered, looking up towards the obscured peak.

"Sasuke will have fled," Neji answered, following her gaze. "I don't see his chakra signature." He tied the bit of cloth around her forearm tight and leaned back to admire his work. "Can you walk?"

Sakura let a burst of air expel from her lips and nodded. The antidote was just as fast-acting as the poison, and already she felt the strength to sit up. Neji stood, offering the girl his calloused hand for support as she struggled to her feet.

"Let's go then."

Hesitating, Sakura cast a final glance up to the head of the monument. A reassuring tug came from Neji's hand which still held her own solidly, and Sakura hung her head.

Hand-in-hand they raced down the monument's edge and back into the battle raging below.

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XXX

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Kabuto awoke with a start to the smell of smoke. He coughed loudly, attempting to raise a hand to cover his nose and mouth and finding that yet again he was bound. The chains at his wrists were tired together behind his back with what he assumed to be a bit of nylon, and he was lying on his side in the dirt. A quick glance around revealed trees and mossy ground, but Kabuto appeared to be alone. He struggled to right himself, and after a few failed attempts the man tumbled unceremoniously onto his other side.

A loud curse fell from his lips for anyone to hear. Kabuto pressed his forehead into the ground and used it as leverage to push himself up, wavering for a moment before finding his balance on his butt. He glared around, unsure of this location.

It could be the woods around any part of the village, and Kabuto wet his lips furiously. He twisted his wrists, hissing as the metal chafed his broken skin and brought forth a sensation of burning. The man let his head fall back dejectedly, glowering at the sky overhead. Clouds of smoke lulled through the air from the west, and it did not take much deduction to figure that was the direction of the village. The smoke was porous and dense, suggesting he was not far at all from the city's edge.

Where were those damned traitors?

A few minutes passed by until Kabuto felt reasonably sure he was alone; the man labored to his feet slowly and with heaving shoulders found a tree only a few feet away. He turned and pressed his back to the bark, tattered hands feeling for a sharp protrusion of wood. He groped only a moment before finding the perfect spot, and although the pain was great he began to work that piece of nylon binding his bloody wrists against the tree.

They slipped against the metal of the shackles agonizingly, and Kabuto held his eyes closed tight. He imagined at this point that his wrists were all tendons and veins and gore, and the thought filled him with a mix of disgust and fascination.

A loud explosion came from the west – the direction of the smoke. Kabuto's eyes snapped open and he felt for the first time a sense of panic. It wasn't an emotion the man was familiar with, but he quickened the pace of disjointed grinding against the tree with urgency. Seconds felt like hours. The nylon finally gave way under his ministrations, and his hands popped free at either side.

Kabuto leaned forward away from the tree, bringing his hands up in front of his face and inspecting them. In reality they were simply chaffed and oozing a bit from certain parts. The shackles hung low on his forearms – no tree would be removing those.

The sound of a branch snapping underfoot caught Kabuto's attention. Alert, the man crouched low and moved quietly behind the tree. He pressed his bruised chest against the trunk, listening intently to the sound of someone rustling through the undergrowth. They were doing little to hide the sound of their approach, and Kabuto assumed this was either someone with no training or someone with little to fear. He hoped it was the former, but it wasn't.

One of the Sound-nin who had captured him stepped into the clearing, pausing immediately and looking around. Kabuto watched him from the concealed spot behind the tree, thanking god for the thick Konohagakuren forest. The man cursed, plucking that discarded bit of nylon from the ground and letting out a low whistle. "Where have you gotten off to?" the shinobi called, inspecting the ground.

He had his back turned to Kabuto, and the medic hesitated for a moment. He was so exhausted that he did not believe he could win a fair fight against even a weak ninja like this; he had no weapons, he had no chakra. Kabuto glared down at his hands calculatingly, eyes traveling from the shackles to the thick metal cables which hung from them. By this time the sound-nin had straightened and was moving in the direction opposite of Kabuto – in a moment he would be past the tree-line and any advantage would be lost.

Kabuto steeled himself before hurling his body out from around the trunk and plowing into the clearing. He had the cable gripped nefariously in both hands, and moving as quickly as a non-chakra enhanced body could, he crashed into the back of the Sound-nin and whipped the line up around his neck. The other man let out a gasp of surprise, but then Kabuto was pulling hard with all of his strength, and the gasp became a stunted gurgle.

The two struggled back and forth; the Sound-nin gripped viciously at the cable around his neck and his pulling brought both of them to the ground. Kabuto did not let go as he fell on to his back with the other man on top of him; he squeezed the line until he could feel his arms shaking. The Sound-nin gave up clawing at his neck and was instead reaching with flailing hands towards the kunai-pouch on his thigh. Kabuto kneed the hand as best he could, using the momentum of the flailing man to roll them over in the dirt.

Once on top, Kabuto struggled to a seated position and pressed the weight of his knees down against the shinobi's elbows, effectively pinning him. The other man's struggling had slowed, but Kabuto did not stop pulling on the line. He set his teeth, giving it a sharp tug so that the Sound-nin's torso was pulled from the ground. The broken finger on his hand was throbbing with the effort.

All of the resistance gave way, and the man's head slumped forward over the cable. This was the time when a good man would drop the line and step away, but Kabuto was not a good man and he held on tight. This man had betrayed and humiliated him, and it was a mix of anger and survivalism that kept Kabuto pulling hard. The body beneath him had begun to twitch - involuntary spasms brought on by the lack of oxygen getting to the brain. It takes eight minutes of oxygen deprivation and two pounds of pressure to bring on full brain-death; Kabuto held on for ten with all the strength he had left.

When the convulsing finally ceased, Kabuto let the cable fall slack and rolled over on to his side. He stared at the face of the dead man beside him – a face which had grown dark violet around the mouth and eyes and had a swollen tongue sticking out through its lips. A face dripping spittle with dark veins spider-webbed beneath its skin. A face of painful death. Kabuto was not normally a killer; it was a common misconception about him. He saw some value in human life – insofar as being valuable to his research. The medic normally preferred to let his patients die of exhaustion or exposure, and it was rare he dealt a killing blow himself. But as he stared on at this grotesque corpse slumped in the dirt next to him, Kabuto felt a sweet tendril of satisfaction turn in his gut. Even without chakra he was a powerful man.

As long as he had the advantage.

With that thought in mind Kabuto turned and jumped quickly to his feet. He had been lucky that this scout came alone, and it was doubtful he would be so lucky again.

Pulling the cables up into his palms so as not to leave a trail, Kabuto hurried back into the trees in the direction opposite the smoke. It was time to make a tactical retreat. Anything Sasuke Uchiha wanted from his could not be good, and Sakura Haruno would simply have to wait. He needed to put some distance between himself and the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

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Sakura and Neji stood back-to-back near the center of the village, weapons held defensively in front of their bodies and eyes straining to see through the heavy smoke. It had taken them some time to get this far into the city; fires raged in independent pockets all throughout the village and they had stopped several times to assist trapped villagers and subdue enemy agents. Sakura's breaths were heaving, her skin smudged with soot and her body marred with multiple scrapes and bruises. If the spike in her arm was the worst that happened to her today, she knew she'd be lucky.

"I see someone," Neji said from behind her, his warmth at her back a comfort in the chaos.

The two tensed, ready for another fight. Neji looked to be in a lot better condition than Sakura, with his skin unbroken and a general sense of cleanliness about him even in the smoke, but Sakura knew that he had also expended much of his chakra. Since they had come down from the mountain, he had taken the lead in most of the skirmishes they'd come across. He had barely allowed her to fight at all, attacking viciously anyone who crossed their path like a rabid dog. It would have been endearing if it weren't frustrating - one poison spike and suddenly you can't take care of yourself.

It was beginning to remind her of the team 7 days.

A figure approached them through the smoke, lumbering disjointedly almost like a walking corpse. Sakura and Neji were side by side now, watching tensely. After what felt like an eternity, the twitching body of a man came into view.

It was a sound-nin, but there was something wrong with him. His head was lulling to the side lazily with each step, his eyes unfocused and foggy. His skin had begun to gray. Sakura felt a tendril of dread form in her stomach, adjusting the kunai in front of her face. "Don't come any closer!" she yelled out, watching in disgust as the man continued to shuffle through the rubble in the street.

Neji was not so patient. With practiced precision he let the kunai in his grip fly, striking the enemy right in the center of his chest. Even amidst the sounds of distant screams and crumbling buildings, Sakura heard the thud. The figure stopped for a moment, and then began stumbling forward again.

"What the hell…" Sakura whispered, casting Neji an unsure glance. The veins around his eyes popped, a sure sign of the byakugan.

He pursed his lips. "I don't see a chakra signal. None. He's… dead." There was a hint of confusion in the usually stoic man's voice.

Suddenly, a gargling sound came from the mangled man. "Fore..head.." He was still struggling closer. "Fore _head_ ," he repeated, clearer this time. Sakura couldn't help the look of disgust that bled across her features.

"We don't have time for this!" She finally stressed, darting forward towards the undead man with her kunai brandished. "Die!"

"Forehead… it's… _me_." The man crowed, just as she skidded to a stop in front of him. " _I…no_." Sakura jammed the kunai into its stomach, barely registering the words. "I need… help." Lost in her frustration, Sakura ripped the knife out and plunged it in again. The man did nothing to protect himself, and the weapon dug deep and nauseatingly into his flesh.

"Sakura!" Neji called from behind, his calloused hands catching her wrist mid-blow. She whipped around to look at him, a stray pink hair catching in the edge of her mouth and her eyes wide with some mix of exhaustion and fury. "The soul-transfer jutsu," Neji explained, looking between her and the corpse. "Ino must be using it on this man."

Slower than she would have liked the dots connected. Sakura stepped back from the Sound-nin, shoulders heaving. "Ino?" she questioned, uncertainly.

"Yes… stupid pig."

Well, that certainly sounded Ino. Sakura pushed her lips in a line, willing herself to bury the frustration for the time being. This was not the moment for feeling exasperated. They needed to get to the center of the village, where no doubt many of their fellow shinobi were laying down their lives to protect the Leaf and all it represented. Sakura and Neji needed to be a part of that fight.

"I'm trapped," the corpse continued, lips twisting garishly. Each word came laboriously. "A building… collapsed on… me."

"Where?" Sakura asked, grabbing the thing by its shoulders and shaking. The loose bobbing of its parts simultaneously disgusted and fascinated her. She had no idea the soul-transfer jutsu could work on the deceased, and in fact was quite sure it couldn't. It appeared Ino had been experimenting with some jutsu of her own over the past years.

"The shop," it groaned.

Sakura was already tossing the thing to the side. Ino's flower shop was two blocks away, further into the city. The body crumpled into the rubble as Sakura sprinted away. Neji trailed after her, trained eyes scanning around them. The village was truly a horrific sight to see, with many buildings smoldering around them and several felled bodies lying in the streets. It was a relief to note that none were their own, but seeing their home like this was enough to dishearten even the most callous of shinobi. Still the two sped on, bouncing in zig-zags across the road.

They arrived at the shop moments later. The roof had caved in, and billows of smoke poured from the broken windows which lined the front of the building. Sakura rushed forward, covering her mouth with the crook of her elbow. Two steps ahead, and something sharp glinted through the air right in front of her. The kunoichi dropped back, crouching next to Neji. Once again the veins around his eyes flared; a quick survey of their surroundings had the two retreating to the relative safety of an awning across the street.

"Six enemies," he breathed, their sides flush together. "On the rooftops." Sakura regarded him, and then the shop. The sound of glass shattering came from inside, and she felt panic begin to rise in her throat at the sight of flames reflected from deep within the dark structure. Ino did not have long at this rate – for all they knew she was breathing her last breaths while they were pinned down only feet away.

"I'm going," Sakura growled, resolute. If they were going to go through hell, she would do everything in her power to make sure her friends were the ones that came out on the other side.

Neji grabbed her arm, "Wait. We need a plan."

The two shared a meaningful look, an unspoken conversation passing between them. It was the type of look only long-time comrades could share. "I'll cover you," he whispered. Sakura nodded, and in a blink the two were barreling into the street. Shuriken rained from above, one nailing the pink-haired girl right in the side. Her substitution popped, a useless log falling to the ground. Neji made it to the center of the street, feet squared on the cobblestone as he took a familiar stance. The shuriken continued to rain, but already Neji's hands moved wildly around his body and brought forth the signature protective shield of chakra he was known for, deflecting the weapons effortlessly.

Sakura sprung from the shadow of the awning in the moment of confusion, sprinting with chakra-enhanced feet towards the shop. She leaned a shoulder forward and came crashing through the shattered window, skidding across the floor on her side into the smoky interior. It was not the most graceful landing, and it took the girl a moment to regain her breath. "Ino!" she screamed once she had, lumbering into a crouched position and coughing. Her eyes streamed from the gaseous air. Flames licked out of the nearby kitchen. Sakura gripped her arm and felt it slick with blood from where she had slid over the broken glass which glittered on the floor of the shop and reflected flames back at her.

"Sakura!" She heard the distressed call of her friend, the voice sounding far away and weak. The medic struggled to her feet, once again covering her nose and squinting in the darkness. "I'm up here!"

Running to the back of the shop, Sakura stomped over broken vases and crushed flowers. Such delicate arrangements seemed so out of place amidst all this chaos. She turned and lurched up the stairwell, taking the steps two and a time. The smoke was thicker on the second level of the shop, and she was forced to navigate the dwelling by memory alone. The sunlight shone in beams through the heavy air, shining in from holes in the collapsed roof.

Nothing in the first room. Sakura stumbled back into the hallway, already having difficulty breathing. "Ino!" she coughed, making her way to the living area at the back of the hall. She'd spent a lot of nights here with Ino, giggling childishly and sharing secrets. Now another precious piece of her previous life was being destroyed by the Sound. In the living room the roof was worst, caved in almost completely and burning in several places. Smoke billowed out into the open sky.

"Over here," Ino called weakly, drawing Sakura's attention. The girl was trapped under a fallen beam near the back of the room next to a toppled bookcase and a burnt couch. Her legs were splayed out and bloody and her back was pinned against crumbling wall. Sakura rushed to the girl's side. "Oh, thank god, forehead," Ino's exhausted voice came out of her throat in heavy breaths, her head falling back in relief. "I thought I was actually going to die, in a stupid fire no-less."

Sakura regarded the situation, trying to determine how best to lift the beam without causing the entire room to collapse and bury them both in rubble. "It's the smoke that would kill you," she said off-handedly, reaching forward to grip the wood with glowing palms.

"Whatever," Ino winced, face pinched in pain as the beam shifted atop her legs. Sakura lifted with all of her might, and the beam groaned as it came free. Ino did not move, but the room shuddered in a way which was cause for concern. "I can't move," the girl called, and Sakura did not hear the usual sound of confidence in her voice. Ino sounded scared, and that wasn't something Sakura was used to. It made her feel scared too.

"You're going to be okay," She assured the girl, tossing the beam to the side with one final show of strength. She crouched at Ino's side, glowing hands encircling her from behind and beneath the legs. The floorboards creaked unevenly beneath them. She could feel her friend's shoulders shaking, and if she'd taken the time to look, would have seen tear-streaks in the soot on her face.

Another part of the roof fell. It crumbled right into the doorway, blocking their exit. Sakura lifted Ino with relative ease; "I guess we're not taking the scenic route," she breathed, before crouching low and catapulting herself into the air. The two burst out of the broken roof, bit of debris flying all around them as they ascended. They arched delicately into the sky. Below them the house shuddered and began to fall into itself, flames engulfing it from below. Ino held on to her with a tight grip.

There was a long moment when they were in the air that Sakura felt a strange sense of clarity. Things seemed to slow down. She saw the sound-nin on the surrounding roofs, and Neji in the center of the street still fending off their attacks. She saw the awning, and knew where to land. Further away, she saw the center of the village, and felt she could hear the sounds of far-away battles taking place. The two landed less than gently atop the awning, and it groaned under their combined weight. A hail of shuriken were already glittering in the air around them; Sakura moved as agilely as she could to get the two beneath the safety of the cover.

Neji had come to a stop in the center of the street. He watched her with milky eyes, and once Sakura nodded that she was okay, he disappeared to engage in a more personal battle with their assailants. Sakura set Ino down gently, worrying her lip as the girl shrugged in pain. "It happened so fast," she was saying, breathing heavily. "One second I'm selling flowers, the next my shop is being stormed – ah!"

Ino grunted in pain as Sakura gripped her bleeding leg. Sakura shushed her, letting healing chakra run into the girl's system. Ino relaxed after a moment, head lulling back against the scorched wall behind them. "They're setting off bombs all over the city. I could see the smoke from the holes in the roof." Sakura said nothing, focusing on stemming the blood flow. A preliminary analysis showed that Ino's injuries were relatively superficial, but it was going to take more than some field medicine to get her up and fighting again.

The blonde continued talking through the pain. "That's how I got one, actually. Saw his body on the ground outside, and didn't know what else to do. Is everyone… okay?"

Sakura leaned away, dropping her hands. She'd done what she could for now. "I don't know," she answered honestly. "Neji and I have been trying to make it to the center of the village, but we haven't seen anyone besides _them_."

"Why is Orochimaru attacking now?" Ino cursed, looking out over the street. "I wish he was dead."

Sakura's heart felt cold. She knew that if Sasuke was here, it was unlikely that Orochimaru was as well. Not if what Kabuto had told her was true. She kept this information to herself, instead grasping Ino comfortingly on the shoulder. "Me too."

Neji appeared in a flash before them, looking none the worse for wear. "Is she alright?" he asked, stepping under the protective awning and falling into a crouched position in front of the two. His question was pointedly directed towards Sakura.

"Nice to see you too, Hyuuga," Ino bit, some of the fire returning to her voice. He regarded her impassively.

"We need to get somewhere safe. The femur is bruised pretty badly," Sakura answered, eyes unseeing. "I'm afraid without a stint it could break."

Ino scoffed. "Strap a beam to it and let's go, then."

A small smile split the pink-haired girl's lips. "You don't want to be stressing it," she cast a furtive look around, "this is officially hostile territory."

A loud sigh was her only response. Ino flipped her long blonde hair around and leaned back softly against the storefront behind her, only a small furrow in her brow indicating her pain. "We're shinobi," she finally answered, seemingly more serious, "I don't want to sit here while our friends are defending the village."

Neji piqued, the veins around his eyes bulging. "We won't be staying here long. I see a group of enemies headed our way." He was already to his feet, strong hands reaching out to jerk Sakura up by her forearm. The suddenness of the motion caused the girl to lurch and stumble against his side; he was as sturdy as a rock. Sakura heaved and pushed herself away from him, instead offering a hand to Ino who was regarding the entire debacle with a mixture of amusement and exhaustion. "Let's go," Neji was saying. Sakura grunted as Ino took her hand and struggled to her feet.

The group limped out into the street, Ino's arms slung over both Sakura and Neji's shoulders. A thin sheen of sweat had already broken out over the pale-eyed girl's skin. Sakura cast her a sideways glance, adjusting the arm she held. Suddenly the medic was wondering if she had been too hasty in her analysis... it was entirely possible the girl was suffering from smoke inhalation.

Sakura cursed herself for not even thinking to check. Just as she was opening her mouth to suggest they stop, a booming sound echoed from all around. The group stopped dead in their tracks, Ino grunting and sagging just a little between them.

Suddenly the wind was whipping passed them, hot and pelting them with small bits of debris. The ground shuddered beneath their feet. Sakura squinted and turned her face away, unable to shield herself.

And then there was the feeling of dread. Sakura recognized it immediately, swallowing visibly. She knew this chakra. When the wind died down, the group raised their eyes in unison. Sakura dropped Ino's arm, stepping back with her jaw slightly askew. A single hot tear rolled through the soot on her cheek.

In the center of the city two silhouettes stood, hot steam billowing off of them. The toad and the snake.


	15. Chapter 14

**Strange Terrain:**

Chapter 14.

 **Author's Note:**

Hello everyone! Thank you for your patience. I know my updates are slow and irregular, but we are quickly approaching the end of the first part of this fic – so know at the very least we will make it that far! I hope you all enjoy the ride, and thank you for your precious reviews.

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XXX

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Sai crouched low on the back of his painted bird, coal eyes scanning the Village Hidden in the Leaves from high in the sky. From this elevation he could see the entire city – from the crumbled Hokage rock to the pockets of fire still burning throughout the streets – and the sights filled him with an undulating feeling deep within his stomach which he did not understand and could only describe as 'red'.

Sai had only just been able to escape the confrontation between Naruto and Sasuke unscathed. This wasn't the first time he'd been present when the ex-teammates squared off against one another, and he knew from experience it would probably not be the last. Today felt different though. Sasuke felt different, at least as much as Sai was adept at feeling things about people. Usually he thought of the missing-nin and lost comrade of team 7 as a generally level-headed individual whose goals in life were driven by confusing emotions, and although Sasuke walked a path of revenge, it was a path that logically made sense to Sai. The artist tended to think about people in simple terms (a characteristic he'd been working on for years but often fell back on in times of stress), and Sasuke's simple desire was revenge.

Today the emotions around him were far too complicated. Sasuke did not appear to be here today seeking revenge, and heading an assault on his old village was a move which Sai could not understand from a logical perspective. It did nothing to move him closer to destroying the much-hated and sought-after brother, Itachi.

This meant the move was related to something other than his prime directive. Probably a defensive move, if Sai was a guessing man (which he wasn't). As a person who preferred answers to questions, Sai had recused himself from the fight and gone in search of the one person who seemed likely to be responsible for the surging web around him. It was with these thoughts in mind that Sai's practiced eyes saw a bobbing head of pink hair through the light smoke which blanketed the city below.

On the ground, Ino's weight on Sakura's shoulder slipped and the foul-mouthed blonde sank further to her knees. Coughs wrecked the girl's body, but the sounds were small in comparison to the booming shockwave which has assaulted them moments before. Sakura, for a lagging second, paid her friend no mind. Her eyes remained glued to the silhouettes of Gamabunta and Manda in the distance; so enraptured was the girl's attention that it was only when Ino fell completely to the ground that she was pulled from the myriad of emotions which were steadily building in her chest and back into the moment.

"Ino!" Sakura gasped, dropping into a crouch with fluttering fingers. Neji remained stoic next to them, his eyes veined with the signature byakugan.

"Someone is approaching from above," he stated matter-of-factly, drawing a kunai from his thigh holster. Sakura's hands glowed a soft green as she pressed her palms surely into Ino's chest, her eyes unseeing. A small stream of red sprang forth from the blonde kunoichi's lips as another cough shuddered from her body. Neji's weaponed fist lowered suddenly as Sai dropped delicately to the ground in front of the group, waving with a light smile as if it were just a regular day.

Between Sakura and Ino the situation was growing dire. Ino had inhaled more smoke than Sakura initially surmised; her terminal air pathways were completely destroyed and her deeper airways were swollen and spasming. Soot and dirt had collected in her lungs, and the fluid which would usually clean them away had nowhere to go and was slowly collecting. The girl's face grew a light shade of red as she had increasing difficulty bringing oxygen into her body. Sakura attempted to create a bypass with chakra which would allow the girl to breathe, but without addressing the fluid filling her lungs it was ineffective. "I need another medic." she spoke with eerie calmness – a trait learned through countless experiences in the operating room. Someone needed to intubate the girl and provide oxygen while Sakura manually repaired the air pathways and removed the fluid from the lungs. Without help Ino would suffocate in a matter of minutes as either her airways collapsed or her lungs filled.

In one delicate movement Sai unclipped a blank scroll from his hip and flung it open in the air. A long line of wet paint smeared the parchment as it unraveled, the brush in Sai's hand seeming to appear from nowhere. He drew quickly and with precision, and in a moment's time a rudimentary dooly appeared with a puff of smoke at his side. "There is a rendezvous point being established two blocks from here. A small medical team is there attending to some of the injured townspeople. They should have supplies." He kicked one of the handles out from under the dooly and let it fall to the ground face-up; Neji had already moved to Ino's head and laced his rough hands under her shoulders. The girl coughed weakly – a wet sound.

He and Sakura moved her to the stretcher, and like a well-oiled machine the group trotted carefully through the streets. Sai led the way, his face expressionless but the mind beneath swirling with feelings of frustration. To him, Ino's condition was nothing more than an inconvenience. He had hoped to find Sakura alone – or even better, in the company of one Kabuto Yakushi. As they ran along he caught the green of her eyes straying back to the city center where a great battle was no doubt playing out, and he wondered if she felt a similar frustration. "Sasuke is there," the coal-eyed man said enticingly.

Sakura's eyes immediately hardened and snapped back to the situation in front of her. "I know."

They arrived at the rendezvous point a few minutes later. It was a sectioned off portion of city street filled with panicked citizens and quietly moving, goal-directed shinobi. Several khaki tents had been erected, the largest of which bore a red cross on the flaps and had two ANBU posted out front. There were several other ANBU guards patrolling the perimeter of the temporary camp; some were clearing debris, others kept watch atop lightly smoking buildings. The ground was covered in ash and chunks of broken rock – Sakura watched a small child attempting to pull a broken doll out from under a particularly large boulder, and she felt her heart in her throat. It was a little girl covered in dirt and blood, and no one seemed to be paying her any attention at all. Where were her parents? Were they okay? These thoughts flashed through Sakura's mind before she pushed them away – this was not the time to get choked up in the misery of war.

The group had encountered very little resistance when moving through the camp – Ino's quickly darkening skin and blood-splattered chin ensured that most people all but jumped out of the way as they jogged towards the medical tent. The ANBU were no different. The sight of Neji Hyuuga and Sakura Haruno was enough motivation for the two guards to quickly step out of their way (something Neji would no doubt berate them for later, but at that moment was a blessing) and the group burst through the flaps of the tent with little ceremony.

Inside was a completely different atmosphere from the disarray of the rest of the camp. Sakura felt a swell of pride for the Konoha medical community; the temporary facility was clean and quiet with cots lining the walls and staff from the hospital working skillfully to assist the patients in need. She must have looked quite a sight in comparison to her staff – blood soaked and caked in dust, with what would later be described as a crazed look in her eyes as she mechanically deposited Ino in one of the cots and began barking orders to her staff with practiced ease.

Some semblance of control began to return to the situation for Sakura. Inside this medical tent she was the senior authority – it was the best situation possible to be able to offer something of substance. The woes of Sasuke's attack, the confusion about Kabuto's fate, and the frustration at her lack of autonomy in the system faded to the background as Ino was quickly intubated and one of the attending nurses began providing a steady flow of oxygen. From there, Sakura was free to repair the tissues of the lungs and remove any dangerous particulates. The minutes went by quickly, no one in the room seeming to notice them as they limped by. The color began to return to Ino's face.

Neji and Sai fell to the background, having little to provide. One nurse clipped Neji's shoulder as she hurried by with a tray of steel instruments which glinted in the harsh light of the tent. Her apologies were fleeting, but the look she gave the Hyuuga over her shoulder suggested he should find a way to make himself useful or get out of the way.

It was not a look Neji Hyuuga was used to receiving.

The two men watched Sakura for another fleeting moment before reaching an unspoken agreement and exiting the tent. They stood together outside in what would have between anyone else been an awkward silence, but for these two was simply a moment of shared disinterest in the other's presence. Neji broke away first, the two ANBU from outside the medical tent approaching him with a stiff salute.

"Hyuuga-san," barked one of them behind a beaver mask. "We could use your assistance with securing a perimeter."

Neji fell into the familiar stance of a soldier. "What are your orders?"

"Alpha team is engaged in battle at the city-center. Bravo is out scouting the surrounding streets for noncombatants and straggling enemies alike. We're getting things organized here."

Sai watched with relative indifference from his spot outside of the medical tent. Neji sent an almost imperceptible glance in that direction, and at first Sai thought he was seeking some form of approval from him. He realized immediately that the Hyuuga prodigy was looking directly through him and thinking of the girl inside. "I can keep an eye on Sakura-san," he offered politely. "It is unlikely she will be keen on leaving this place any time soon."

Neji hesitated, and then inclined his head slightly. Sai kept his expression neutral as the man walked away with the ANBU detail, but inside he mind was already reeling with plans on how to get Sakura away from this place and down to the city center. He knew Sasuke's untimely arrival could not be coincidental. The likelihood that it had nothing to do with Kabuto Yakushi was extremely low, and Sakura was the person who had had the most exposure to the missing-nin in question.

He was unsure how, but Sai felt certain that a reunion for Team 7 would provide him with some of the answers he was looking for.

Of course, getting Sakura away from the medical tent wouldn't be easy. She was a healer, after all. Sai had barely finished this thought when the flaps to the tent swung open and Sakura stepped out, her hair in a messy bun and her face spotted with beads of sweat. Her glowing emerald eyes immediately found him, and the girl levied a hand on her hip and fixed him with a heated stare. "Ino's fine," she offered, wiping her brow and smearing some of the soot there. "Now, take me to Naruto and Sasuke."

Well… that was easier than expected.

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XXX

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Sakura and Sai made it to the center of the village atop painted wings. They watched from above, wind whipping their hair as waves of chakra energy spilled all around them. Sakura's face was pinched in consternation. On the ground Naruto and Sasuke were locked in an epic battle – friend and foe, one and the same. Sakura felt oddly separate from them in her perch atop Sai's creation, but in many ways it was the natural order that she should be. These moments had never really had a place for her.

She could feel it in the blood on Naruto's face – in the tears which streaked through the red and the deep pleading look in his eyes. She could see it in the strength of Sasuke's movements, where there was no hesitation and yet so much emotion expressed in his withholding. She felt like an intruder.

Sai watched the emotions play across her face with genuine interest. "Why do you not go to them?" he half-yelled over the winds after a full minute had passed. Sakura had her fist clenched into her chest, and her brows had drawn together into a thick line.

"I'm so selfish," she said suddenly, just when the man thought she might not answer at all. She turned her face to him fully, and her dirty features were lit by the glow of chakras emanating from her friends below. There was water building in her red-rimmed eyes. "I'm afraid." It was hard to hear over the sounds of conflict. Sai did not move to respond, simply staring from behind coal eyes. "Not of death," she laughed, "but of not belonging. _Still_!" Sakura's voice was loud and filled with self-deprecating humor. "How selfish is that? Thinking about myself at a time like this…"

This was the first time Sai thought he might actually understand what it meant to find another human beautiful. It wasn't her physical features or any kind of sexual energy, but rather the openness of her shame. He felt as if he were seeing himself mirrored in her. Sai knew what it was like to feel selfish and ugly inside, and seeing it in someone else was beautiful. Maybe that's what love was – seeing the worst of yourself in someone else and forgiving them for it. In that sense you could also forgive yourself.

It was a strange and quick impression of her which prompted Sai to say, "It doesn't matter if you belong. Make a place for yourself, until it feels like you do." He leaned in close, his eyes wide as he gripped the girl's shoulder and jerked her face towards his. Their noses almost touched. "You define your own experience."

And then Sai shoved her, and Sakura toppled backwards off of the bird.

He didn't know exactly why he did it. Sai watched the girl fall, wondering at himself. If Sakura Haruno felt that she did not belong in a Team 7 battle, what did he have to offer? Still, the artist had done his due diligence in bringing her here. What happened next would be up to the original members of the squad; with that in mind Sai willed his jutsu to fly away. Until he knew what would transpire it was best to stay out of the way and provide support from above for the real champions of this beautiful disaster.

Back with Sakura, mid fall, a sense of panic was gripping the girl as she toppled through the air with little grace. Her hair and clothes whipped around violently, particulates in the air stinging her skin as her body caught speed. She could see the heads of Gamabunta and Manda (with the significantly smaller heads of her old teammates perched atop) approaching quickly as she fell through low-hanging clouds. They seemed to separate for her, revealing the scene below. Gamabunta the toad had his massive dosu blade drawn, its glinting steel buried deep in the Konohagakurean earth and his clawed hand appeared to be wrenching it from the soil. Manda's scaled body had slithered around the toad's lower half and up around his free arm, rendering the appendage immobile.

Sakura righted herself. An aerial entrance to a battle was a bit showy for her, but landing a high fall was a skill any shinobi above the genin level could do with relative ease. She angled her chest forward and moved her body into a crescent shape; this slowed the rate of her fall considerably and gave the girl moderate control over where she would land.

The violet light of chidori glowed in Sasuke's hand. Bubbling red-orange chakra rolled off of Naruto in waves. As she hurtled closer to the ground Sakura could see a deep cut above the blonde's brow. It wept crimson freely over the boy's blue eyes and down his cheeks. His whisker markings had widened substantially, but her friend appeared to be maintaining relative control over the demon within him. Sakura's eyes swept over to Sasuke. He remained unchanged, except for the slight spread of black flame from the curse mark on his neck.

The visage of Sasuke Uchiha filled Sakura with a mix of feelings she couldn't process all at once. They came like waves – first happiness, then anger. Disgust followed by sadness, all at once. And then the feelings melded together into one emotion that she associated specifically with her old teammate, and the tears which sprang to her eyes were involuntary.

Naruto and Sasuke began to charge each other. Gamabunta struggled under the weight of the constricting snake, unable to pull his weapon from the ground. It must have been embedded deep in the bedrock beneath the city.

Sakura angled herself to land at the base of the blade, where large cracks spider-veined out into the earth. She willed a powerful burst of chakra to her hands and feet, twisting at the last moment so that she would touch the ground feet-first. Her appendages tingled with spiritual energy. In an upright position the girl dropped the last fifty feet of her plummet like a bullet, and when she hit the ground soil sprayed up around her as if a bomb had been detonated. She burrowed into the surface, the force of her impact so great that she sank five feet. In one sure movement the girl brought her fists up and over, using her leftover momentum to strike the earth with every ounce of strength she possessed.

The resulting explosion sent massive chunks of rock spraying through the air as if they were nothing more than autumnal leaves. To an outside viewer it would appear as if a great earthquake was shaking the entire village center: what merchant stalls hadn't already been crushed by the great beast summons crumbled in on themselves and blew away in the hot earthy wind. Gamabunta's short blade sprang free from the ground, and the giant toad stumbled backwards at the sudden release.

Standing at the center of a large crater, Sakura shielded her eyes as the dust began to settle.

"Ehh…? What's this?" Gamabunta boomed, catching his footing in a defensive stance and using the sudden free leverage of his arm to hurl Manda away. The great snake hissed as Gamabunta slashed at him with the dosu blade, releasing the grip on the toad's legs and quickly evading. "Looks like I owe your friend one, Naruto." The two summons faced off against each other.

Naruto was regarding Sakura from his place atop Gamabunta's head. His mouth was set in a serious slant, and the usual jovial glitter in his eyes was replaced with something sharp and painful. "Sakura… I'm glad you're here." She could see the pointed incisors poking out from behind the boy's lips and knew he was having a hard time keeping the Kyuubi at bay. "Together we're bringing Sasuke home, today!" Naruto raised a shaking fist in his abandoned friend's direction – it was bloody and the ends of his fingers were mangled into the beginning of claws. "You hear that Sasuke!?"

The man in question appeared unperturbed, standing coolly atop Manda and somehow managing to regard neither of his old teammates. "I am not here for you," Sasuke offered in his usual bored tone; beneath it Sakura thought she heard just the slightest amount of strain. "This village took something I need and I'm here to take it back."

Sakura's eyes flashed. Was he talking about Kabuto? Had it all been true?

Before she could stop herself Sakura was yelling. "Sasuke-kun," the honorific fell out on impulse and she immediately regretted using it. "Is it true that you're moving against Orochimaru?!"

His head swiveled in her direction lazily. There was a look on contempt on his face which reminded her of their youth, and she wished she could slap it off. "How many times do I have to say it…" He reached down to the holster at his leg and removed a kunai, swinging it around on his forefinger with practiced chagrin. "This doesn't," he caught this knife by the grip and held it menacingly in front of him, "concern," the weapon raised, "you."

Sasuke let the kunai fly free, hurling it in Sakura's direction. It wasn't the first time he'd thrown a weapon at her with intention, and it probably wouldn't be the last. Sakura danced to the side, paused, and jumped out of the way as a second kunai hidden in the shadow of the first embedded itself where she had been standing a moment before. She heard Naruto call her name in a light panic. Frustrated, the girl brought her thumb to her lip and bit viciously, palm slamming to the ground with a summoning technique.

"Lady Katsuyu!" Sakura called, and the great puff of white smoke which followed saw her hurtling through the air atop her master's familiar. A moment later Sakura stood on equal ground with her old team, chest heaving angry breaths as she pinned Sasuke with a hurt stare.

The massive slug undulated under Sakura's feet. "Sakura-san," it cooed happily, before starting at the situation it was in. "How can I be of assistance?"

Sakura's eyes never left Sasuke. His hand was now resting on the hilt of his sword, the black flame of the cursed seal appearing to have spread slightly over his exposed porcelain skin. "Send one of your divisions to inform Tsunade-sama that Sasuke Uchiha has been spotted and is engaged at the village center. Request reinforcements. We are going to capture him."

Sasuke rolled his eyes imperceptively as the girl continued. "Send some other divisions to help with the wounded around the city."

"Yes, Sakura-san," Katsuyu purred. The slug hesitated a moment, before speaking in what was meant to be a quiet voice but which was in reality booming and heard by all around. "Lady… your chakra supplies are fairly low. It will be difficult for me to maintain multiple divisions and assist you in this battle."

She saw the edge of Sasuke's lip tick in amusement. "Don't worry!" the man called out, "we won't be here long."

"Sasuke!" Naruto roared in frustration. In the moment of distraction caused by Katsuyu's arrival to the battle he had summoned a clone and formed rasengan. Now the blonde was launching through the air at top speed, hot orange chakra trailing off of him. At the same moment Gamabunta jumped high in the air, his dosu blade raised to strike Manda's relatively exposed body. Sasuke ripped his immaculate sword from the holster on his back, lightly pushing himself off of the snake's scaled head and aiming to meet Naruto mid-flight.

The Uchiha easily dodged Naruto's rasengan, shifting his body to the side and letting the blonde barrel passed him. He brought his sword down brutally across his old friend's back, and quickly the clone popped and disappeared. Already three more Naruto's were attacking. Each one looked more like Kyuubi than the last.

Sakura wanted to cry and beg them to stop, but she pushed down the impulse and resolutely brandished a handful of shuriken from her side. She unleashed them into the air at Sasuke's back, watching as he dodged them at the last moment while in the middle of pushing another clone away. He shot her an angry look over his shoulder, and just as the real Naruto was coming in to strike with a second rasengan the Uchiha shuddered out of their vision and reappeared behind Sakura with his sword raised.

He didn't say anything. He was a cruel man, and he simply swiped at her with the intention to kill. Sakura was too fast; she dropped to her hands and kicked a chakra-enhanced foot out under his legs. Sasuke jumped over it, but she was already up and swinging at him with everything she had.

She missed, but Sasuke landed a few feet away from her on relatively unsure feet. "Katsuyu!" Sakura screeched, watching as a small division of the slug appeared in midair above the boy and began spitting acid at him. He dodged two of three squirts, but the last attack clipped the man's left arm with a sickening splash. Immediately the smell of roasting flesh could be sensed by all around.

"You bitch!" Sasuke yelled, some of his cool demeanor slipping. More of the black flame was moving over his face, He went to summon chidori, but suddenly Naruto was there with two tails waving in the air behind him. He tackled the boy ferociously, and the two went colliding off of the side of Katsuyu. Sakura sprinted after the two, refusing to be left behind this time. She sent wave after wave of shuriken after them, weaving the weapons around Naruto's enraged body and aiming to impale Sasuke. For a ludicrous moment Sakura thought maybe they could win this fight – if Sasuke couldn't put his full focus on either one of them then maybe it would be different than all the other times. She was stronger now. She was stronger…

Sasuke's chidori smashed Naruto in the stomach and sent the boy flying off. A trail of blood splashed through the air after him, leaving a pit in Sakura's stomach as she watched it hang in the air for a timeless moment.

They were still falling for a instant more, and then Sasuke was on the ground and his sword was raised and his was flipping away menacingly. Sakura landed less gracefully, her eyes trailing after Naruto. She righted herself, ripping out a kunai and brandishing it in front of her chest as if she were still a child. Sasuke stood fifteen feet away, and he watched her darkly before sheathing his weapon and taking a few languid steps forward. "I don't particularly care about killing you," he said after a moment, the seal on his skin receding a bit. "I didn't come here to fight with either of you."

"You started a fight the moment you attacked this village," she replied stoically. Boys weren't the only ones allowed to keep their voices even and their faces still. "Why are you even here?" and there was the emotion, just beyond the edge of her words. "What do you have to gain from this?"

Sasuke didn't appear as if he intended to answer, and so she pressed on. "Is this about Orochimaru and the sealing technique? Is it true that you're on the run from him?"

"I'm not on the run."

Sakura's hands were shaking with the intensity of her grip, She was afraid the metal might break the skin of her palms. "We can help you defeat him…" there was a pleading tone in her voice. "If Orochimaru is weak now, we can use the sealing technique on him. I can do it. I created it, I can-"

Sasuke's interest appeared piqued. He looked up, an angry set to his jaw. " _You?_ " he hissed in a way which made his demeanor before seem downright friendly in comparison. "You created the seal?!" Sasuke's eyes were suddenly wide and crazed. His mouth opened into a terrifying grimace. "You betrayed me…" he crooned. "You've been working against me all along… with _him_?"

For the first time Sakura realized how unhinged Sasuke had truly become. His eyes glinted, and a small amount of spittle sprayed through the air with his words. The girl found herself slowly backing away. "No…" she said weakly, but she knew he couldn't hear her through the rage. "I was trying to help you."

Sasuke's eyes blackened. A small but growing lump pulsated from beneath the tunic over his back. The immense spiritual pressure in the area was enough to buckle Sakura's knees and bring a cold sweat to her skin, but she pulled herself together enough to stumble away before turning tail and breaking into a full run. What was this? She'd read reports of Sasuke's transformations before, but this was her first time actually experiencing the deranged, full-on fury of it. The only thing her mind was telling her was that she had to get away. "Katsuyu!" she screamed, stumbling a little as she raced towards the slug. It undulated a bit, apparently having been distracted with fulfilling her other orders. Sakura sprang forward and landed on the slug's wet skin, pulling herself up in a frenzy until she made it to the top of the familiar's head. "Where's Naruto?!"

Gamabunta was busy attempting to pin down and restrain Manda. He looked up at the shrill panic in the girl's voice, but this proved to be a mistake as the snake dislodged him and bit viciously at the toad's forearm. He cried out in surprise and anger. "We have to get Naruto!" Sakura was pleading, screaming, knowing that this truly wasn't her place and that she would die if she stayed. She hated herself for thinking it, but knew it to be true.

And then Sasuke appeared behind her, hovering on a fleshy wing with purple lips and black eyes. Sakura stared over her shoulder at him in horror, unable to move herself. "I'm going to kill you and Yakushi," he said simply, holding a clawed hand forward and forming chidori as if it were nothing more than a party trick.

A single hot tear fell down the girl's cheek.

"Sakura!" A soft but panicked voice floated down through the air and offered her a sliver a hope. Sakura's emerald eyes swung around, watching as Sai descended from the clouds in a rush. "Come!"

She did not need to be told twice. With chakra enhanced feet the girl sprinted forward, throwing herself into the air with all of her might. She reached out with the soft hands of a healer as Sai raced towards her; she saw in his eyes something she'd never seen before. They were only a few feet away from each other when the crackling blue-purple light of chidori lit his pale features. It was fear. The artist's expression pinched, and before Sakura really understood what was happening Sasuke was next to her and smashing her face with a closed-fist chidori which immediately singed her skin and sent her flying with intense speed away from the battle-ground.

Sakura arched through the air. She could feel it rushing passed her at an alarming rate – it pulled at her clothes and her hair, and at the sagging skin of her face. Without warning the girl crashed through the wall of a building – a grain silo – before shooting through the other side like a bullet. The pain was immense, spreading out from her back in agonizing waves. She tried to send chakra there. She tried to probe her face. Sakura felt a bit of terror when she realized, through a haze of pain-induced half-consciousness, that the left side of her face was likely destroyed. The terror doubled as her eyes lulled down and she realized that she had been knocked completely out of the city and was flying over the surrounding forest.

Sakura attempted to call on her chakra reserves in order to begin healing herself. The fall was going to do a lot of damage, and she'd already taken plenty. But she was on her fifth-wave of energy at this point, having used her resources to the point of exhaustion. It was all she could do to keep her face from crumbling.

She was losing speed and she was losing consciousness.

Quickly, and with much force, the girl's body broke the canopy of the forest and immediately slammed into and through the base of a fat oak tree. It exploded into splinters, and Sakura tumbled backwards like a doll. She took down several thin saplings before finally rolling to a stop, her body limp in a small crater of dirt and mud. Her arm hinged awkwardly behind her, and for a moment the entire forest was quiet. A stream of sunlight was shining lazily on the ground in front of her, and the girl watched it with unfocused eyes. And then she coughed weakly, a bit of blood splattering from her lips. Her eyes slid shut.


End file.
